Recent developments

Vorster De Wet

doi:10.1192/s0140078900025177

Abstract

Infant psychiatry research pursued over the last two years was presented at the International Conference of the Association of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines in Paris, July 1986, and the value of early intervention was underlined at the Third World Congress of Infant Psychiatry, Stockholm, August 1986.

Highlights

Infant psychiatry research pursued over the last two years was presented at the International Conference of the Association of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines in Paris, July 1986,and the value of early inter vention was underlined at the Third World Congress of Infant Psychiatry, Stockholm, August 1986
With regard to early intervention, state financial help is given in Sweden for families from fairly early on in pregnancy until infants reach two years of age, and the value of primary care workers having regular contact at health centres with psychologists and other members of the child psychiatry team was presented
Professor of Child Psychiatry, Toronto, described veteran mothers as playing a leading role in the special care baby unit support group and mentioned that the mother's relationship with her own mother was often found to be of greater importance than the amount of touching concerning special care babies

Summary

Introduction

With regard to early intervention, state financial help is given in Sweden for families from fairly early on in pregnancy until infants reach two years of age, and the value of primary care workers having regular contact at health centres with psychologists and other members of the child psychiatry team was presented. He considered autistic phenomena might occur, as he had found in clinical practice, as a result of a specially traumatic event distressing mother to the extent that at a specific time she failed to experience pleasure in interaction with her infant; this was not her "fault".

Results

Conclusion