What children need most, the social workers agreed, is a sense of home base, of a secure attachment.

The researchers also looked for signs of "secure attachment" among toddlers.

This is a rate of secure attachment typically found in low risk samples.

It is believed that those who don't experience secure attachment may develop a sensitivity to rejection in later relationships.

Indeed, a secure attachment is associated with independent exploratory behaviour rather than dependence.

Therefore, secure attachment can be seen as the most adaptive attachment style.

However an early secure attachment appears to have a lasting protective function.

The researchers also found that all was not lost for those who had had less secure attachments in their infancy.

Autonomous mothers were also found to have infants with a more secure attachment.

Healthy relationships are built on a foundation of secure attachments.