Pre- and Postnatal Psychology and Medicine

Pre- and postnatal psychology and medicine belong closely together, encompassing anthropological, biological and psychological aspects. Both psychoanalysis and infant mental health research have contributed largely to the subject, as have neonatology and social pediatrics. The human being seems to commence at the point of birth, when families are founded. Yet even before, during the prenatal period, significant influences on the unborn child and on mothers-to-be have been observed on different levels. The volume contributes to integrating clinical theory and practice through presenting research findings from the maternal perspective and from both the unborn and the infant perspective, putting them in a practical context. It emphasizes the need to view the human being as bio-psycho-social being, thus providing a possible integration of psychic and somatic approaches. Topics included are, among others, psychosomatic obstetrics, unborn and infant development, fetal brain development, parental dealings with preterm delivery, neonatal care, psychotherapy, and medical psychology of reproduction. Clinical accounts from international experts serve a panoramic view of pre- and postnatal factors affecting human personality, providing readers with seminal issues from conception through child development.