[Prenatal origin of parent-child relations. I. Attempt at a schema of development]

All over the world in recent years the increasing awareness of the importance of the relationship between parent and child for the perinatal period has led to changes in the practices of maternity units. Unfortunately, concentrating on the perinatal period has turned attention away from the interaction of the parent with the child over a much longer period before and after birth. We suggest that, under favourable conditions, there is a psychobiological development of the relationship that exists in the perinatal period which has developed in parallel with the physical development of the fetus. This article suggests how the normal process of the antenatal development occurs in this reference and points out certain psycho-social difficulties that can interfere with its progress. Our thesis is that it is essential to understand this process as part of the complete care given in obstetrics.