The Transmission of Trauma from Mother to Infant: Radioactive Residues and Counter-Transference in the Case of a Haitian Mother and Her Two-Year-Old Son*

ABSTRACT

Close observation of the interactions between a traumatised mother and her infant son provides information on the modes of transmission of psychic trauma in the mother–infant dyad. Following the presentation of a current literature review on the theme, the subject of “radioactive residue” and counter-transference in the transmission of psychic trauma from mother to infant will be illustrated through a clinical case study that focuses on a Haitian mother and her two-year-old infant son who has been referred to a “transitional care nursery” in urban Paris. The encounter with this mother–infant dyad is analysed through observing the quality of the interactions that take place between the mother and infant in order to determine how a particularly traumatic narrative impacts the mother–infant relationship, in addition to relations with the clinician. Mother and infant respond to one another through the emission and reception of “radioactive residues” as hypothesized by Gampel. This clinical case study shows that there is a need to consider transcultural factors and collective experience and history when analysing traumatic events. Additionally, the case study shows that counter-transference can be an effective clinical tool for gaining access to an infant's experience as the recipient of a traumatic narrative.     

Attachment to Caregivers and Type 1 Diabetes in Children

Attachment is a behavioral and physiological system, which enables individual’s dynamic adaptation to its environment. Attachment develops in close interaction between an infant and his/her mother, plays an important role in the development of the infant’s brain, and influences the quality of interpersonal relationships throughout life.Security of attachment is believed to influence individual response to stress, exposing insecurely organized individuals to deregulated autonomic nervous system and exaggerated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activity, which, in turn, produces increased and prolonged exposure to stress-hormones. Such stress responses may have considerable implications for the development of diverse health-risk conditions, such as insulin resistance and hyperlipidemia, shown by numerous studies.Although the mechanisms are not yet fully understood, there is compelling evidence highlighting the role of psychological stress in the development of type 1 diabetes (T1D). One of the possible contributing factors for the development of T1D may be the influence of attachment security on individual stress reactivity. Thus, the suggestion is that insecurely attached individuals are more prone to experience increased and prolonged influence of stress hormones and other mechanisms causing pancreatic beta-cell destruction.The present paper opens with a short overview of the field of attachment in children, the principal attachment classifications and their historic development, describes the influence of attachment security on individual stress-reactivity and the role of the latter in the development of T1D. Following is a review of recent literature on the attachment in patients with T1D with a conclusion of a proposed role of attachment organization in the etiology of T1D.     

A mechanism for gratitude development in a child

Most scholars consider gratitude as a moral emotion, with only few seeing it as a character trait. As a result, no systematic mechanism has ever been attempted to develop gratitude in children. Given the social issue of widespread lack of gratitude in the one-child generations of China, this article attempts to outline a mechanism of parental moral education for gratitude development. The mechanism is underpinned by love, induction and discipline; and theoretically justified in accordance with key psychological and sociological theories, such as Piaget's theory of moral development, Kohlberg's moral stages theory, attachment theory, Hoffman's internalisation theory, Rest's social justice theory and Baumrind's parenting styles theory. The benefits and potential risks of each strategy of the mechanism are addressed.     

A clinical and radiological two‐year follow‐up study of maxillary overdentures on osseointegrated implants

In order to satisfy the need to restore the aesthetics, phonetics and comfort and to facilitate optimal hygiene procedures, 20 edentulous patients were treated with a new concept of overdenture therapy on implants ad modum Brånemark. After 24±3.5 months the patients were re‐examined. They were asked to answer a questionnaire and use a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) to give their opinion on the prosthetic treatment. The results indicate that an implant‐retained overdenture in the maxilla with this design can satisfy the patients needs in aesthetics, phonetics and comfort and can 1 facilitate oral hygiene measures.     

Pituitary stalk meningioma: case report

We report a 45-year-old woman with a meningioma which was in contact with only the pituitary stalk on MRI. As the pituitary stalk has no dura mater, we suggest this tumour may have originated from the arachnoid membrane of the pituitary stalk. Though some reports have shown that meningiomas can arise from sites lacking a dural component, this is the first report of a meningioma originating from the pituitary stalk. Received: 21 December 1995 Accepted: 26 February 1996     

磁性附着体用于下颌全口义齿的疗效观察

目的 观察磁性附着体的临床效果。方法 采用Magfit磁性附着体修复11例患者下颌全口义齿。观察固位力及基牙情况。结果 11例患者黏固磁体后固位力明显提高，基牙无松动，牙周指标良好。结论 磁性附着体能满意地解决义齿的固位稳定问题，提高义齿的修复质量。     

同伴支持、父母支持和青少年自我价值感初探

目的：探讨实际的同伴支持、感知到的同伴支持、感知到的父母支持、对同伴支持的重要性评价、对父母支持的重要性评价和自我价值感之间的关系。同时也考察了青少年的同伴接受性。方法：用社会测量法和自我报告法对285名青少年进行集体测试。结果：①社会测量法表明青少年也可以被分为受欢迎的、被拒绝的、被忽略的、和有争议的；②感知到的同伴／父母支持和自我价值感之间存在显著正相关；高低实际同伴支持两组被试在感知到的同伴支持上存在显著差异。但在自我价值感上不存在显著差异；（固在所有被试中，只有对初三学生来说，对同伴／父母支持的重要性评价在感知到的同伴／父母支持和自我价值感之间起到调节作用。结论：感知到的同伴／父母支持可以用来预测青少年的自我价值感：对初三学生来说，对同伴／父母支持的重要性评价可以在感知到的同伴／父母支持和自我价值感之间起到调节作用。