There is a rapidly growing international literature on very early infant relationships. Many authors have addressed the psychological aspects of neonatal intensive care and indicated a need for greater understanding and research into the links between caregiving interventions and the baby's physical and emotional development. This book looks specifically at the experiences of the premature baby in hospital and how the way professionals and parents interact with it and between themselves affects its future development. The author draws from psychoanalysis, developmental psychology, and ethnology, but takes a systemic perspective throughout. Observational material graphically illustrates the theoretical points and makes the book particularly useful for the practitioner and student.

There is a rapidly growing international literature on very early infant relationships. Many authors have addressed the psychological aspects of neonatal intensive care and indicated a need for greater understanding and research into the links between caregiving interventions and the baby's physical and emotional development. This book looks specifically at the experiences of the premature baby in hospital and how the way professionals and parents interact with it and between themselves affects its future development. The author draws from psychoanalysis, developmental psychology, and ethnology, but takes a systemic perspective throughout. Observational material graphically illustrates the theoretical points and makes the book particularly useful for the practitioner and student.