ABSTRACT
With the birth of a new baby, families have to cope with new rhythms and routines and a new organization of time. The stress resulting from these changes is generally temporary, but if a baby is diagnosed with (chronic) illness, the stress can become conspicuous and interfere with the development of the mother-child relationship. The parents’ concerns for the baby's health condition, the fatigue of taking care of a sick baby, and the depressive feelings that the parents may experience, together with the interaction difficulties due to the baby's illness, may lead to reduced sensitivity in perceiving and reacting to the baby's signals. These conditions can constitute a risk factor for the development of a secure infant-parent attachment relationship.
