Accueillir l’enfant suivant un deuil périnatal : l’examen de Brazelton comme intervention thérapeutique précoce

Introduction

Previous studies have shown that children whose births occur after a childless pregnancy tend to be more prone to psychological and affective disorders, with a moderate and nonspecific degree of significance. These pathologies are most often described as a consequence of altered family dynamics rather than an actual impairment of the child's cognitive pathways. Such alterations in familial balance, when occurring in the traumatic shadow of a childless pregnancy be it from spontaneous miscarriage, stillbirth or voluntary termination due to foetal abnormalities, often take root in the prenatal period due to anticipatory representations and thoughts and can express themselves as early as the first days of the newborn's life ex utero.

Aim of study

We used the standardized Brazelton assessment scale to observe three such newborns in the presence of their parents and paid particular attention to the parents’ reactions and attitudes to the child's behavior and the impact our explanations had on their understanding of the newborn's response.

Results

This study highlights the value of early postnatal care of these dyads with a focus on the issues of caring for the individual discovery of the child by his parents, supported by psychoaffective elements of childcare. However, the specific relevance of the Brazelton's tool in this indication remains to be discussed due to its limited nature by the absence of precise indications, the absence of a reproducible equivalent later in the baby's life, as well as the absence of a result that can be communicated to parents who therefore do not systematically carry the meaning that the caregivers confer on it.

Conclusion

The study asserts the fundamental benefit of an early child-based intervention in these families to facilitate genuine bonding and secure attachment, but the nature of such an intervention is yet to be determined.