[The mother and her sick newborn (author's transl)]

The care of the mother during the pre- and postnatal period is of great importance not only for the act of birth but also for the establishment of the mother child relationship. There are indications that the quality of mothering during later childhood is determined by the way the mother child relations are established during the first days of life. It is important to realise the needs of the mother to see and to touch her child and to enable her to do so as often as possible even if this child is under special care. In cases of neonatal illness the mother especially needs the psychological help of her doctor and the nurses. The professional persons can provide this help better if they are aware of the normal reactions of the mother to neonatal illness or even death of her child.