[Early mother-infant care, definition and effectiveness: A review of the literature].

Professionals agree on the need for early joint mother-baby care, but its effectiveness remains poorly studied. The aim of our work is to propose a review of the literature on this subject. We included randomized or non-randomized controlled clinical trials of interventions targeting the mother-baby dyad which can begin during pregnancy or during the first three years of life. Forty-one studies met the inclusion criteria and focused on mother-baby psychotherapy, educational or guidance programs, care for premature infants, infant massage, and home visits. The results show an improvement of the quality of the interactions whatever the type of approach, but according to different indications or modalities. The heterogeneity of intervention methods and indications make the comparison of results almost impossible. This work highlights the lack of consensus on mother-child care methods, both for their indications and their effectiveness. The isolated evaluation of interactions is an insufficient criterion for judging the effectiveness of care. Finally, whatever the theoretical models, the interventions must take into account the environment of the child.

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