Infancy and domestic violence: an annotation

This chapter highlights one possible impact of witnessing domestic violence on the health and development of an infant—the development of feeding difficulties and failure to gain weight. When violence occurred during breastfeeding, one can imagine that the baby could approach subsequent feeds in a hypervigilant state, and that for her and her mother feeding could evoke the memory of the trauma. There is a body of knowledge developing about infants who have witnessed violence—infants growing up in communities of violence as well as those living with family violence. Infants and toddlers exposed to overwhelming traumatic events experience similar symptoms to adults and older children with their symptoms having a developmentally determined expression. Parents exposed to violence are likely to have difficulty being emotionally available, sensitive and responsive to their children. The literature emphasises that the reinstitution of a safe, stable and nurturing environment is crucial for recovery from trauma.