Child development as an index of maternal mental illness
Katerina Haka-Ikse M.D.1
1 Department of Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto Medical School, 555 University Avenue Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X8 Canada
The pediatrician's traditional preoccupation with the health and welfare of children is often extended to include other family members, especially mothers. The physical and mental health of a child depends on provision of adequate physical care as well as on a warm, intimate, and continuous relationship with his mother or mother substitute. Disruptions within this system, due to temporary or continuous maternal inability to meet the needs of the child at any of the above levels, often result in serious consequences for the child's well-being. By restoring the mother's mental health, an equilibrium is reestablished within the system and the child benefits without being the subject of direct intervention.1-5
