Becoming a person? Learning from observing premature babies and their mothers

Abstract

This article focuses on the observation of two extremely premature babies, and the beginnings of their sense of self and perception of the world. It examines the mother–baby relationship and ways in which mothers may help their infants to take in and recover from the experience of premature birth, while they are recovering from the trauma themselves. The paper considers the possible significance of the role of an observer in these circumstances. Theories relating to the inception of psychological life are controversial. Numerous psychoanalysts and developmental psychologists argue that babies are born ready to relate. In recent years, some authors have postulated that ‘for infants to be born ready to receive experience, there must already be a rudimentary capacity in operation before birth’ [Shuttleworth, J. (1989). Psychoanalytical theory and infant development. In L. Miller, M. E. Rustin, M. J. Rustin, & J. Shuttleworth (Eds.), Closely observed infants (pp. 22–51). London: Duckworth]. The author goes on to consider how a premature baby becomes a person, what are the effects of prematurity on early psychological development and on the early mother–infant relationship, whether trauma is inevitable for premature infants and their mothers and how a psychotherapist can help them in this setting. Infant Observation is presented as a useful tool for learning about these ideas, and might also benefit babies, mothers and professionals.

Keywords:

• prematurity
• neonatal intensive-care unit (NICU)
• Infant Observation
• birth trauma
• early psychological development
• mother–baby relationship

Notes on contributor

Stephania A. Ribeiro Batista Geraldini is a Clinical Psychologist, Psychotherapist and Social Worker in Brazil. Her clinical psychology postgraduate training was undertaken at the Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil, and her Child Psychoanalysis Training at the Institute Sedes Sapientiae where she also studied Early Intervention in the Parent–Baby Relationship. She holds an MA Early Years Development and Infant Mental Health from Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust awarded by the University of East London (2010–2013). She has done research at the University of São Paulo and is currently training as a psychoanalyst at the Institute of the Brazilian Psychoanalytic Society of São Paulo.

ORCID

Stephania A. Ribeiro Batista Geraldini http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3951-2057

Notes

1

A plastic tube is inserted through the nose or mouth into the windpipe and air or an air–oxygen mix is blown in and out of the lungs under pressure. The machine does most or all of the breathing for the baby. (www.tommys.org)

2 Inside the incubator, there is a small white mattress and a towel around the baby which looks like a nest, with the edges folded up, to contain him.

3

A pair of small prongs is used to deliver extra oxygen through the nostrils. This option is used when the baby does not need pressure to keep the lungs open, but needs a little extra oxygen to maintain sufficiently high oxygen levels in her bloodstream. (www.tommys.org)

4

Short prongs or a mask is positioned by the nostril or nose, and air or oxygen is blown in at a constant pressure. The baby does all of his own breathing, but the machine helps keep the lungs open in between breaths. (www.tommys.org)