This study presents a theoretical and clinical review concerning motherhood in the context of infant malformation. Initially, the impact of the diagnosis on the mother's psyche and on the mother-infant relationship is discussed, as well as psychological interventions geared toward them. Infant malformation diagnosis reveals itself as a quite complex and difficult psychic experience, implying psychic damages for the mother and, consequently, for the mother-infant relationship. Besides, the mother's mental representation concerning the baby can either facilitate or distort the infant's psychic development. Studies highlight the importance of examining maternal psychic representation in the context of malformation for eventual clinical interventions. Brief parent-infant psychotherapy has shown to be an efficient technique to access these representations in favor of a healthier psychic development for both mother and infant. Therefore, it is important that malformation is not only treated in its physical and functional aspects, but also in its psychic dimension.
malformation; motherhood; theoretical review; brief parent-infant psychotherapy