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Infant Mental Health Toolkit

This toolkit addresses Infant Mental Health, an integral component of raising a healthy child, and provides readings and practical tips for you to better understand your child, foster a positive parent-child relationship, and exercise personal self-care.

Why Infant Mental Health Matters

Do you ever wonder what goes on in your baby’s mind? Are you worried about being a good parent to your young child? During the early years of life, babies are forging their first relationships and developing emotionally, socially, and cognitively, which serve as the foundation for the rest of their lives. Through these pivotal years, how can you make sure your child grows to become the best version of himself/herself?

Infant Mental Health Toolkit

The first relationships your baby develops will become the blueprint for how she feels about herself, and the way she assesses future relationships.

Although infant mental health refers to children ages 0-3, many recommendations in this toolkit can be applied to ages 4-6, also known as Early Childhood.  

Social and Emotional Development

Infant Mental Health ToolkitHow can you support your baby’s infant’s mental health?

Emotional development starts unfolding at birth!

What if you are frequently seeing some negative behaviors?

It is every parent’s wish to raise a positive and successful human being. It is important to not just focus on modifying a child’s negative behavior but also to keep your eye on the bigger picture. Refer to 10 Habits to Shape a Kind, Well Adjusted Child for more information.

Cognitive Development

Communication, or how your baby exchanges ideas and feelings through verbal and non-verbal ways, is another component of cognitive development in addition to exploration and play.

Maternal Postpartum Depression and Anxiety

 Infant Mental Health Toolkit

Having a new baby brings about so many changes in a mother’s life- in her routine, body, moods, relationships, and more.

PPD makes it harder for a mother to be emotionally available and aware of her child’s needs, which can impact her child’s development, social and emotional capacity, and future mental health.  

Self Care & Parental Relationships

Additional Resources

Center for Disease Control
The CDC provides access to materials like positive parenting tips, free educational materials, children’s mental health resources, and more.
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/index.html

Zero to Three
Zero to Three works to ensure that babies and toddlers benefit from the connections that are critical to their health, well being, and development. They do this by transforming the science of early childhood into helpful resources, practical tools and responsive policies for millions of parents, professionals and policymakers.
https://www.zerotothree.org/

Ages & Stages Questionnaire
Ages to Stages provides accurate, reliable, developmental and social-emotional screening for children between birth and 6 years of age.
https://agesandstages.com/

Pathways
Provides resources for tracking milestones in their child’s development, including the motor skills, senses, communication and more. Their sensory toolkit includes materials that help with earlier identification and therapy for children’s sensory issues, which can help children reach their fullest potential.
https://pathways.org/

Postpartum Support International (PSI)
Provides PSI Support Coordinators and area resources such as free telephone support, groups, reliable services, local events, trainings, and more.
http://www.postpartum.net/

Brazelton presentation – 4th trimester
Dr. T. Berry Brazelton discusses newborns and the impact their environment has on their behavior.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZisX_F6HAfE

More from The FYI

Infant Mental Health Toolkit

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Does marital conflict mean divorce?

What steps can you take if you’re not sure how to move forward in your relationship?

This toolkit was authored by Saara Patel, LLMSW & Infant Mental Health Specialist, Bessma Haider, BA, and Nushrat Rahman, BA with support from Madiha Tahseen, PhD, Carol Oleksiak, LMSW, IMH-E®, Sameera Ahmed, PhD, and Sarrah AbuLughod, MA.

Feedback

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Zakat eligibility of The FYI

The Family & Youth Institute, or The FYI, is a well-known Muslim organization in the United States. It works to promote mental health and wellness by strengthening and empowering individuals, families, and communities through research and education. It has been working for many years to bring Islamic perspectives to understanding and promoting mental health in our communities.

It is dedicated to serving and supporting Muslims – safeguarding our deen, our families, and our future generations. Therefore, the work of The FYI comes in the category of ‘fi sabeelillah’ or the Path of Allah, within the eight categories where Zakat money can be used.

Zakah expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy and for those employed for it and for bringing hearts together [for Islam] and for freeing captives [or slaves] and for those in debt and for the cause of Allah, and for the [stranded] traveler – an obligation [imposed] by Allah, And Allah, is Knowing and Wise.”
(Al-Tawbah 9:60)

According to scholars who widen the meaning of fee sabeelillah to include any activities that promote Islamic growth, The FYI is indeed eligible to receive part of the Zakat funds for its programs and services. I urge Muslims in America to support this organization through their donations, general charity, and through their Zakat. I ask Allah swt to strengthen and guide The FYI to continue its good work in supporting Muslims.

Shaikh Ali Suleiman Ali, PhD

About Shaikh Ali

Sh. Ali Suleiman Ali was born in Ghana where he spent his childhood studying with various Muslim scholars. He then moved to Saudi Arabia and enrolled in the Islamic University of Madina.  He graduated with a degree in both Arabic and Islamic Studies. Dr. Ali went on to complete his Ph.D. in Islamic Studies at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Sh. Ali serves on the Advisory Council of The Family & Youth Institute. He is the Senior Imam and Director of the Muslim Community of Western Suburbs in Canton, Michigan. Additionally, he serves as the Director of Muslim Family Services in Detroit and is a council member of the Fiqh Council of North America (FCNA). He is also a member of the North American Imams Federation (NAIF) and the Association of Muslim Jurists of America (AMJA).