Should babies get psychotherapy?

Thursday October 26, 2006

When I saw a headline earlier this week about psychiatric therapy for babies, I wondered if it wasn't some sort of ploy by pharmaceutical companies to replace pacifiers with Prozac. But maybe rugrat psychotherapy isn't really such an outrageous idea. Medical intervention for special needs can start at birth. Therapy for motor skills or speech or sensory regulation can start very young. There are baby educational products, baby gymnastics classes, baby yoga. So really, why not baby shrinks? Moving your little one from the crib to the couch may be a great way to provide early intervention for bonding problems, temperament problems, feeding problems, and other concerns of the pre-ambulatory set. Or it may be a great way to put psychiatrists' kids through college. What do you think about psychotherapy for babies? Pick an answer from the poll at right, then explain your enthusiasm or skepticism in the comments.