Parents should be prepared both physically and psychologically on how to bond with their children even before birth, according to a consultant psychiatrist
“We need to invest in infant psychiatry, which involves working with mothers even before they give birth, Nigel Camilleri said.
“In Malta, a lot is done to prepare parents for the physical aspects of childbirth and the first months of child rearing, however, we need to invest similar energy into making parents aware of bonding and attachment issues,” he told this newspaper at the end of a conference organised by the local branch of the UK-based Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, which he chairs.
He noted that not all children were responsive to parents’ nurturing advances, at times even when the parents were eager to build a relationship. So, rather than focusing on the negatives, parents could be ‘coached’ to alter their behaviour even after birth. Removing the child from the birth family should be a last resort, he said.
We need to invest in infant psychiatry, which involves working with mothers even before they give birth
The main aim of the Malta branch of ACAMH is to educate professionals about children’s mental health in a bid to improve the local services and combat the mental health stigma.
In a video-conference dealing with trauma and abuse, which was open to professionals who work with children, one of the speakers, Jonathan Hill, professor at the University of Reading, referred to the effect depression during pregnancy could have on children.
The importance of raising awareness on depression during the pregnancy, a condition often undiagnosed, was raised in the past. Among others, psychiatrist Ethel Felice, a member of the ACAMH Malta branch board, had carried out research showing that prevalence of depression among pregnant women at 36 weeks gestation stood at 11 per cent.
In her keynote speech, Mary Dozier, professor at the University of Delaware, spoke of research among children brought up in adverse conditions and a 10-week programme with the birth parents.
She noted that, at times, while some children responded to a parent’s greetings, others ignored them. This could result in some parents giving up over time.
Prof. Dozier illustrated her talk with videos of children who initially did not react to their parents’ attempts of nurturing. Changes in their attachment to the parents was visible after 10 weeks, during which time the parents had been shown alternative ways of how to bond with their kids. Members of the audience noted that such simple interventions could be applied in the local context.
Agreeing, Dr Camilleri insisted on the importance of encouraging parents, noting that there was a chance for some form of bond if professionals kept working with them. Although at times challenging, building a relationship with the parents could change the children’s lives.
*For more information go to: www.acamh.org/local-network/malta.