Infant anxiety, evidenced by serious emotional distress when in contact with an unknown person, usually begins around 6 or 7 months of age and begins to taper off after the infant reaches 12 1/2 months of age.

STRANGER ANXIETY

Explanation:

Stranger anxiety is the emotional distress that babies experience when they meet or are left in the care of unknown people who are unfamiliar to them. It usually begins

around 6 to 7 months and then begins to gradually decrease as the baby continues to grow and develop.

An infant learns to recognize her parents within the first few months of birth and they quickly learn to recognize and become attached to their parents or caregivers. As this bond strengthens, infants often become afraid whenever parents leave or strangers appear. These fears are a normal part of infant development and will taper off or resolve after the infant reaches 121/2 months of age.