Premature infancy: a 25-year scoping review of psychoanalytic journal articles

Abstract

This paper offers a 25-year scoping review of psychoanalytic journal articles on premature birth from 1997 to 2021. Given the prevalence of prematurity and its impact on infant development and parenting, this is an area which requires engagement and research. 28 papers were found in psychoanalytic journals. This review summarizes the extent, range and nature of this research, identifying trends in theorizing about premature infancy and gaps in the literature. The overall lack of articles on the topic of prematurity is highlighted and possible reasons for this are suggested. These include the practical challenges as well as the intensity of emotional pain inherent in working with prematurity. The findings highlight the trauma experienced by both premature infants and their parents. Prematurity may also place the parent-infant relationship at risk. The therapeutic imperative of interacting with the infant as a person is strongly emphasised. Research suggests working in the NICU is emotionally evocative. However, a case is made for the critical role that psychoanalytic practitioners can play in supporting those impacted by premature infancy. The need for exposure to this topic is highlighted. Gaps in the literature appear in relation to sibling experience, experiences of fathers of premature infants, and the intersubjective processes occurring between premature infants and their parents.