Prevention

While it's not known with certainty if reactive attachment disorder can be prevented, there may be ways to reduce the risk of its development. Infants and young children need a stable, caring environment and their basic emotional and physical needs must be consistently met. The following parenting suggestions may help.

• 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 by lots of playing, talking to him or her, making eye contact, and smiling.
• 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 child, such as during feeding, bathing or changing diapers.
• Offer both verbal and nonverbal responses to the child's feelings through touch, facial expressions and tone of voice.