Problems of Early Infancy. Transactions of the First Conference on the Psychological and Somatic Problems of Early Infancy. March 3–4, 1947: Edited by Milton J. E. Senn, New York: Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation, 1947. 70 pp.

A group including psychiatrists, pediatricians, psychologists, educators, nurses, obstetricians, social workers, held a conference chiefly about the 'rooming-in problem' and the 'self-demand schedule'. Rooming-in is keeping the young baby with the mother

from birth. With this the self-demand schedule is instigated which does away with the rigid rules of timing and amount of nursing which are generally applied in lying-in hospitals. Although the general trend of the Conference was to agree with the two principles, a few discussants brought out clearly the danger that would arise if these two principles were applied rigidly, unindividualistically, and routinely. It was stated that those mothers who do not want to, had better not nurse their children. Immature, anxious mothers are not able, due to their own tensions, to help their babies establish their own schedules; also, many mothers, immediately after delivery, are physically and emotionally not able to deal adequately with an infant, who, due to the trauma of birth, is in a state which will upset the mother. Subsequently a vicious circle will be established.