Mother-baby Relationship Research Articles

Newborn screening for Duchenne muscular dystrophy: a psychosocial study

Objective: To evaluate the psychosocial implications of newborn screening for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Design: Prospective psychosocial assessment. Setting: Primary care. Respondents: Study: (a) families of an affected boy identified by...

Um corpo que pede sentido: um estudo psicanalítico sobre mulheres na menopausa

Este artigo se baseia na Dissertação de Mestrado da autora, considerando a menopausa como um dos momentos críticos da aquisição do sentido de feminilidade, hoje bastante diferenciado daquele possível no momento da criação da psicanálise. Os efeitos psicossomáticos presentes nesse momento do ciclo vital requerem uma compreensão psicanalítica das marcas corporais inscritas na primitiva relação mãe-bebê, emolduram as demandas de atendimento médico-psicológico. Baseando-se numa pesquisa de campo, comenta-se algumas das vicissitudes da feminilidade na contemporaneidade.

The ‘little vandal’: Fantasies of damage and reparation in the mother-baby relationship

The ‘little vandal’: Fantasies of damage and reparation in the mother-baby relationship

Book Reviews

This is an easily read, comprehensive introduction to child protection for all midwives. The book opens with a brief but adequate review of the motherbaby relationship; leading in smoothly to a description of behavioural disturbance displayed by babies and parents, in response to family strife. The midwife's role in child protection is dealt with early in the book, clearly establishing the midwife as a key member of the support team and underlining the unique position of the trust held by the midwife in the postnatal period.

Breastfeeding failure: the emotional consequences

The reasons why women give up breastfeeding have been extensively studied but less is known about the emotional consequences of breastfeeding failure to the mother and its effect on the mother-baby relationship. This article explores the role of midwives in supporting mothers during this time.

Some Thoughts on Sibling Rivalry and Competitiveness

SUMMARY. This paper was presented to the Fifth Conference of the Institute of Psychotherapy and Counselling whose overall subject was Envy. I chose the subject of sibling rivalry because I have always found it a burning personal issue. Surprisingly not much has been written about it; so I hoped it would be interesting for a change to think about an aspect of envy that is a universal experience and yet different from the primary envy which Melanie Klein located in the motherbaby relationship and the state of part object relating. Rivalry and competition begin in the later developmental phase when the infant has achieved unit status, and when the two‐person relationship has expanded into three‐ and multi‐person relationships where the issues are loss, exclusion and intrusion. Then the experience of difference and otherness has to be mastered so that socialisation can take place.

Siva and Shakti in Raja Rao's Novels

Siva and Shakti in Raja Rao's Novels

Introducing Mother and Baby

Because I am particularly interested in beginning mother-baby relationship, I appraised newborns of all primiparous mothers who delivered over a onemonth period at hospital where I was affiliated as a graduate student. I asked each mother (a total of 22) if she would like to undress and look at her baby, and then have a chance to ask questions. None refused. Many studies have revealed effects of maternal deprivation on infant's physical and emotional development. The question has recently been raised about effects on mother who is deprived of caring for her newborn child. Barnett hypothesizes that the immediate postpartum period may be a time of maximum sensitivity for mother. . . . Separation from her infant in neonatal period may not permit mother to develop an attachment to her infant at time she is most sensitized to be responsive to him(1).