Impact of the perinatal environment on the child’s development: Implications for prevention policies

Abstract

Basic emotional security is central to the construction of the child and has an impact on the brain’s organisation, the personal autonomy and the capacity to explore the world. The key concept of the attachment theory is supported by recent neuroimaging findings of brain development and the structuring of the hypothalamic– pituitary–adrenal axonal regulatory systems. In addition to the child’s potential, the essential variable lies in the quality of the environment’s responses, and consequently in the quality of the maternal security, from the very early intrauterine life. The understanding of the effects of parental stress during the early developmental stages is advancing. In France, the emotional security of pregnant women and future parents has become a major stake of perinatal policies for the prevention of developmental disorders. Specific strategies are being developed to improve both the maternal and the infant well-being. These are not restricted only to mental health specialists but rather involve every health-care professional of the perinatal period. The mechanisms of change for vulnerable parents emerge from the prospective analysis of support methods. Continuity and coherence of such care serve as a holding function, which enables the restructuring of previous emotional traumas. A new interdisciplinary perinatal medicine is emerging, structured rigorously around a well-coordinated obstetrical and paediatric follow-up. Considering the future of children, teenagers and adults, the stakes are enormous.