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Prevention
By Mayo Clinic staffWhile it's not known if reactive attachment disorder can be prevented with certainty, there may be ways to reduce the risk of its development.
- Educate yourself about attachment issues if your baby or child has a background that includes orphanages or foster care. This can help develop specific skills to help your child bond. Resources include books, pamphlets, Internet sites and support groups. You may want to check with an adoption agency to identify educational materials and other resources.
- Take classes or volunteer with children if you lack experience or skill with babies or children. This will help you learn how to interact in a nurturing manner.
- Be actively engaged with your child in your care by playing, talking to him or her, making eye contact or smiling often, for example.
- Learn to interpret your baby's cues, such as different types of cries, so that you can meet his or her needs quickly and effectively.
- Provide warm, nurturing interaction with your baby or child, such as during feeding, bathing or changing diapers.
- Teach children how to express feelings and emotions with words rather than by acting out. Lead by example.
- Offer both verbal and nonverbal responses to the child's feelings through touch, facial expressions and tone of voice.
- If you're an adult with attachment problems, get help — it's not too late. Seeing a mental health provider not only may help you, but also may prevent you from having attachment problems with your children.
References
- Reactive attachment disorder of infancy or early childhood. In: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV-TR. 4th ed. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Association; 2000. http://www.psychiatryonline.com. Accessed June 23, 2009.
- Reactive attachment disorder. In: Moore DP, et al.: Handbook of Medical Psychiatry. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby; 2004. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/145545363-3/0/1243/32.html?tocnode=52436085&fromURL=32.html#4-u1.0-B0-323-02911-6..50032-4_311. Accessed June 23, 2009.
- Newman L, et al. Recent advances in the theories of and interventions with attachment disorders. Current Opinion in Psychiatry. 2007;20:343.
- Haugaard JJ, et al. Recognizing and treating uncommon emotional disorders in children and adolescents who have been severely maltreated: Reactive attachment disorder. Child Maltreatment. 2004;9:154.
- Cornell T, et al. Clinical interventions for children with attachment problems. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing. 2008;21:35.
- Hanson RF, et al. Reactive attachment disorder: What we know about the disorder and implications for treatment. Child Maltreatment. 2000;5:137.
- Report of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children Task Force on Attachment Therapy, RAD and Attachment Problems. American Psychiatric Association. http://www.apa.org/divisions/div37/RADTaskForceManuscript.pdf. Accessed July 1, 2009.
- Coercive interventions for reactive attachment disorder. Association for Treatment and Training in the Attachment of Children. http://www.attach.org/apsac.htm. Accessed July 1, 2009.
- Child Abuse and Neglect Committee. American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/policy_statements/coercive_interventions_for_reactive_attachment_disorder. Accessed June 29, 2009.
