ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author discusses the issues with some clinical cases, in which she was able to engage the baby directly in front of parents in a way that allowed for understandable ambivalence and hate. Extremely vulnerable babies may be cared for in a number of settings in the paediatric hospital, including a general paediatric ward, the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) or the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Having a premature or sick baby is a crisis for the parents, with the potential loss of the hoped-for infant. The effects of maternal depression may lead to problems in the parent–infant relationship, which may lead to later problems in infant development. The infant mental health worker needs patience in NICU/PICU, to “be there” to become known and credible. The care given by parents provides basis for the development of a working relationship between “psyche” and “soma” for the baby.
