'New Parenting', Psychotherapy, Prenatal and Perinatal Care

Abstract

The health of future generations, both physical and psychological, depends upon good parental and early environment, free particularly from malnutrition, toxins and undue stress. Education about these negative influences is urgent, especially to encourage childbearing women in a healthy diet and lifestyle. The detrimental effects of cigarette smoking in pregnancy have been known since the 1970s, yet in Germany, for example, 60% of all children are conceived, carried, born into a household where at least one adult smokes. Even if the father desists from smoking at home, the nicotine in his body tissues is transmitted to anyone near him, for example his wife when they sleep near each other. More than one glass of beer, wine or spirits per week during the pregnancy can be detected at birth. Alcohol in early in the pregnancy – just when many mothers are unaware they are pregnant – can produce significant physical malformation, especially in the face. Prenatal exposure to alcohol has significant effects on the intelligence and behaviour of the child. Many of these children are very restless. Even slight amounts of poisoning during the pregnancy are related to the development of a negative seli-image and the compensatory behaviour of the Narcissistic Personality Disorder in later life. The Prenatal Deprivation and Poisoning Syndromes have not only been related to heart disease and eating disorders in the area of general health but also in the area of psychological health to the Borderline Personality Disorder. Undue stress of any kind during the pregnancy leads to problems for the developing child.