Preserving the Flame in the Mental Life of Premature Babies

Abstract

Elena Castro

The aim of this article is to emphasize the necessity to protect the early psyche in premature newborns, separated from their mothers since birth. These babies survived and stayed alive thanks to a “complex life saver incubator”, handled by a professional team. We will present clinical vignettes that show some of the delicate mental mechanisms that are observable, and the emotional intensity that these babies are able to proyect in the observer. We will show how early deprivation of a maternal object can affect the incipient mind of a child. In January 2017 it started a one year experience using the Esther Bick’s Observational method in a multi professional team in a neonatology Unit. This team takes care of the babies and the idea is to help them internalize an emotional model in order to contain and work through the intense emotions that are awaken while taking care of the babies, without acting or be overwhelmed. This experience will open a road through which we are going to be able to hold alive the flame of the mental life in these little patients, as well build a road to widen clinical research in this field.

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