Psychotherapeutic intervention during the postnatal period

Abstract

The development of the Brent, Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster Mental Health Trust Perinatal Service is described and the importance of early intervention during the postnatal period discussed. Specific reference is made to difficulties encountered by the “replacement child” and to the area of postnatal depression and its effect on the relationship between mother and baby. Consideration is given to psychological development during pregnancy and the mother's ability to be emotionally available to her infant. The paper includes a description of three psycho-analytic psychotherapeutic interventions with mothers and their babies who were referred to the Perinatal Service. (fn)Based on a paper given at a conference in Trieste May 1999-La relaxione mamma-bambino in terapia intensiva neonatal. An extract from this paper was also published in the Newsletter of the Association of Infant Mental Health (UK) December 1999.