Peer-reviewed article
The role of perinatalcare in early life trauma prevention
Kurimay T, Szederkenyi J, Hortobagyi A ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This paper discusses how perinatal care—support for mothers, infants and children during pregnancy, birth and early infancy—can prevent early life trauma and its lasting effects on child development and mental health. The author emphasizes that psychiatrists and other clinicians have an important role in prevention, not just treatment, particularly by supporting positive parent-child relationships and understanding how trauma affects whole families. The paper highlights that trauma during the perinatal period is sensitive and significant, shaped by social factors and potentially passed across generations. The author presents good practices and interdisciplinary approaches that clinicians can use to prevent trauma and build resilience in infants and children.
Key points
- Mental health support during the perinatal period (pre-, peri- and postnatal) should be recognized as prevention, not just treatment
- Trauma during the perinatal period affects mothers, newborns and whole families, with potential transgenerational effects
- Integrated medical, social and educational services support competent parenting and positive parent-child relationships
- Trauma is closely linked to social determinants of health
- Psychiatrists can contribute to trauma prevention through a prevention-focused approach in clinical practice
Limitations
This is a presentation abstract that describes an overview of concepts and good practices rather than reporting original research or evaluation findings. It does not provide quantitative evidence, study design details, or measured outcomes from any specific intervention.
Abstract
Abstract Body Mental health support for parents, infants and children as an interdisciplinary, cross-sectoral task has existed for decades in many European countries. A highlighted goal of integrated services (medical, social and educational) is to support competent parenting and the positive parent-child relationship, for the optimal development including mental health of infants and children. In clinical practice, the role of psychiatrists is often linked to healing and rehabilitation, even though we also have an important role in prevention. The mental support, treatment and prevention of psychiatric disorders during the pre-, peri- and postnatal period are often not considered being preventive measures. The perinatal period is the most sensitive and at the same time one of the most important stages of our lives. The traumas suffered during this period affect both the mother and the newborn, in fact it affects the family as a whole. Models for the prevention of early trauma appear at the level of social community and, inter alia, health and social care. Traumas are closely linked to social determinants of health. Gene environment interactions also allow for the transgenerational transmission of trauma. The presentation introduces individual and family levels of interdisciplinary care, good practices and programs the knowledge of which may be important to psychiatrists. How the practicing psychiatrist can contribute to trauma prevention and how to understand the development of resilience. The presenter will detail good practices, and highlight the possibilities for all clinicians on ways to work in their respective field with a trauma preventive approach. Disclosure No significant relationships.