Reflecting on the Practice of Infant Mental Health and the Reduction of Risk in Infancy and Early Parenthood: An Essay

Weatherston, Deborah J.

doi:10.1002/imhj.21619

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…This way of thinking about justice can be referred to as distributive justice, about which there is a rich philosophical literature (e.g., Olsaretti, 2018). One prominent distributive justice framework is egalitarianism, which emphasizes the equal treatment of people, based on their equal moral status (Arneson, 2013).…”

Section: Justicementioning

confidence: 99%

The ethics of infant and early childhood mental health practice

Lim

Korfmacher

Steier³

et al. 2023

Infant Mental Health Journal

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Ethics is concerned with the basis for moral judgments of “right” and “wrong” and is central to the clinical endeavor. Many clinicians integrate ethical estimations into their work without much conscious awareness. However, explicit use of ethical principles and frameworks can help navigate clinical decision‐making when there is a sense of moral conflict or ambiguity about the “right” course of action. This article aims to highlight the key concepts and principles in clinical ethics as they apply to IECMH practice and stimulate a bigger conversation in the profession around how to support each other to maintain high ethical standards in working with young children and their families. Specifically, the authors consider the relevance of Beauchamp and Childress’ four principles framework (respect for autonomy, beneficence, non‐maleficence, and justice), and address some of the special ethical challenges in the field, namely, the vulnerability of the infant, the need for a competent workforce, caring for caregivers, and the problem of multiple patients. Finally, the role of infant rights is briefly explored, noting the significant interest and debate that has been generated by the publication of the World Association of Infant Mental Health's Position Paper on the Rights of Infants.

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Section: Justicementioning

confidence: 99%

The ethics of infant and early childhood mental health practice

Lim

Korfmacher

Steier³

et al. 2023

Infant Mental Health Journal

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show abstract

“…Infant observation techniques have, however, been used as training, practice, and research tools in multiple other arenas such as social work practice, aged care, disability, dementia, child protection, organisational consultancies, and health (Bunston et al, 2020;Dearnley & Hartland-Rowe, 2009;Elfer, 2012;Fleming, 2004;Hingley-Jones, 2011;McKenzie-Smith, 2009;Meek, 2005;Ng, 2009;O'Dwyer, 2008;Rhode, 2004;Trowell & Miles, 2004;Vliegen, 2006;Wilson, 1992). IMH was manifestly born, raised, and remains largely practiced by those within psychoanalytic circles (Weatherston, 2017;Zeanah, 2019). Family therapy sought to individuate from a psychoanalytic tradition, to be the group which moved from individual pathology to group/family process.…”

Section: E Av I Ng T H E I N Fa N T On T H E Door St Epmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…IMH was manifestly born, raised, and remains largely practiced by those within psychoanalytic circles (Weatherston, 2017; Zeanah, 2019). Family therapy sought to individuate from a psychoanalytic tradition, to be the group which moved from individual pathology to group/family process.…”

Section: Leaving the Infant On The Doorstepmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘How I wonder what you are?’: what infant observation offers family therapy

Bunston,

Jones

2023

ANZ J of Family Therapy

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Training in infant observation, highly valuable in the infant mental health (IMH) field, has an enormous amount to offer family therapists. These two fields of practice, both hold working with the relational world of their clients as central. As two senior family therapists who are also IMH practitioners, we invite those reading this paper to explore the possibilities inherent in undertaking infant observation training as a pathway to enriching and expanding their practice. We provide an overview of infant observation training, how this approach was conceived, and explore the benefits of honouring the subjectivity of the infant, that of bringing the infant's experience alive in the therapeutic space. We provide direct examples from our own practice. We conclude with how infant observation might be incorporated into family therapy training and practice.

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“…To date there is limited research about fathers' roles during breastfeeding and early parenting, however a small body of work is developing that includes this group (Crossley, 2009as cited in Símonardóttir, 2016. Responding to the call for the inclusion of fathers and other members/components of family environments in early parenting and breastfeeding studies (Boyer & Spinney, 2016;Weatherston, 2017), Shorey and Ang (2019) published a meta-synthesis of 13 qualitative studies that were conducted internationally and focused on the experiences of fathers during their infants' first year of life.…”

Section: Family Influencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assembling bodies-and-spaces: a conceptual approach to understanding midwives' perceptions of chest/breastfeeding families and the home environment

Currie

2023

Preprint

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<p>Chest/breastfeeding parents have consistently voiced their need for relational styles of perinatal care. This care is essential to the maintenance of breastfeeding long-term. Little Canadian research has focused on midwives’ support of families at home and their perceptions of how socio-physical environments affect chest/breastfeeding. This knowledge gap is important because up to 90% of Canadian people intend to breastfeed prenatally. Substantially less exclusively breastfeed their infants at 6 months of age. In this study, I drew on a postmodern conceptual framework to analyze, describe and interpret the accounts of six midwives and their perceptions of breastfeeding families at home. Findings illustrate that midwives support breastfeeding by participating in dynamic bodily encounters with families and creatively engage with spaces to enhance parent-infant togetherness after birth. Findings fill a critical gap in knowledge about these emergent, embodied relations and their impact on breastfeeding practices at home.</p>

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Reflecting on the Practice of Infant Mental Health and the Reduction of Risk in Infancy and Early Parenthood: An Essay

Cited by 6 publications

References 29 publications

The ethics of infant and early childhood mental health practice

The ethics of infant and early childhood mental health practice

‘How I wonder what you are?’: what infant observation offers family therapy

Assembling bodies-and-spaces: a conceptual approach to understanding midwives' perceptions of chest/breastfeeding families and the home environment

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