Assisting families with babies or toddlers in crisis situations

Every day we witness numerous crisis situations in the world. Wars, floods, earthquakes and similar catastrophes result in a large number of casualties, strongly mobilizing the public to offer various forms of assistance. Apart from the tragic images, there are no reports concerning the consequences of these events on children in their first months of life. This is quite unjustifiable, for we know that they are the most vulnerable group in any society. Their exceptional vulnerability derives from their absolute, existential dependence on the help of others and their immature stress defense mechanisms. This paradox results from a lack of awareness concerning the bases of early growth and development in human beings, of children's needs and their ways of communicating with the people around them. Guided by their personal experience, authors focus attention on the exceptional importance of organizing specialized assistance in the area of early growth and development for children caught up in crisis situations. We believe that this practical manual can aid in achieving successful parenting and a happy childhood in normal conditions of life as well.