Preventing Original Infant Trauma When Possible For The Prevention Of Schizophrenia (Part One)

Delayed Posttraumatic Stress Disorders from Infancyconsider its prevention.Birth of a sibling has been
The Two Trauma Mechanism:recognized as a severe trauma having profound
The two trauma mechanism represents a new modeleffects.I would estimate this may represent as much
for the study of mental illness in the field ofas one-third of severe infant trauma occurring after
psychiatry. My findings show that psychiatric illnessesage nine months. The prevention of serious mental
are based on early trauma and follow a pattern ofdisorders through the prevention of initial trauma
later activation precipitated by a major life crisis ormust take into consideration either the spacing of
significant stressor, and then multiplechildren, or special ways of attenuating the
reactivations with little further provocation. Thisbirth-of-a-sibling trauma in children who are born in
delayed posttraumatic stress disorder pattern ofclose sequence.
activation and reactivation holds true not only forIf one chooses to space children close together, then
schizophrenia, but also for mood disorders, anxietygreat consideration must be given to the
disorders, psychoactive substance use disorders,introduction of the new arrival. For a best case
eating disorders and more.scenario vs. a worst case scenario (based in part on
To the extent that early trauma are identifiable, it iscumulative case histories but without statistical
possible through educational means to prevent astudy), picture the infant who is totally dependent on
large number of early trauma from ever occurring,the mother-who then suddenly finds the mother
and to modify or attenuate the ones that can notgone-and who even may be sent to a babysitter's
be avoided.My research design, allows us tohouse because the father is at work and is not
establish a peak age of risk for each emotionalavailable to care for the needs of a one or two year
disorder or disease category related to early trauma.old. The baby is very upset at the sudden
Based on 25 years of clinical observations, earlydisappearance of the mother, is frightened, confused,
trauma is expected to account for a large numbercries in distress, and is desperate for her return. Then
of disease categories, and in particular thethe mother returns, holding and feeding a new baby.
schizophrenias and the depressions. Because of theSuddenly all fears may culminate in a dreadful
unique research design, the most likely peak age andrealization; the first child experiences that it has been
age range of origin/vulnerability is identifiable for eachdisplaced; its whole world, its entire existence has
disorder/symptom, as well as the relative degree ofbeen lost; without the mother to care for its needs,
risk for each type of trauma.there is no life. The deepest fears of abandonment
Ultimately, large scale objective studies will reveal aand death, developed over 150 million years of
precise mathematical peak age of origin for eachpatterning of the old and the new mammalian brains,
symptom or disorder related to trauma. My studiescan be triggered. Few people realize the extent
have demonstrated statistically significant correlationsof this fear. Its meaning becomes lost and confused
between early experienced threats of separation andwith such words as "sibling rivalry," "jealousy"-and
the later development of serious disorders, andother such attributes that have little or nothing to do
based on cumulative observations it is possible towith the absolute horror and terror that is being
post-dict clinically the approximate age of origin ofexperienced. To seal the book for the worst case
each symptom/disorder.This appears toscenario, some infants or toddlers then are sent off
be accurate to within a few months and soon willto the grandmother's house when the newborn
be tested in a clinical research setting. I do not yetarrives.
have statistical data to validate all the clinicalTo contrast this worst case scenario with a better
findings, but to not include the only set of predictionsway to handle the same situation, let us picture a
that exist-and which are based on 25 years offamily where the older child-as much as possible
cumulative observations-would be falling short of the(depending on age)-is told about the new arrival and
mark.about the older child's future role in the family. The
ORIGINAL INFANT TRAUMA REQUIRINGfirst child remains at home, with a close family
PREVENTION OR ATTENUATION:member, when the mother (and father) is at the
Early traumas largely have one primary commonhospital. When the mother returns, she is NOT
denominator: a relative degree of physical orholding and feeding a new baby. She rushes to the
emotional separation from the mother, whichfirst child, tells him/her how much she missed him or
frightens the baby and may trigger primordial fearsher, makes a great display of attention/affection
of abandonment and death. The cry response isover the first child, and then later introduces the
present throughout the mammalian species.subject: "Would you like to see your new baby
Mammalian infants need the mother for survival, andbrother or sister?" After the introduction, the mother
without the mother they would die. Absence of theagain makes a big fuss over the first child and gives
mother elicits the cry response. This is a distressit gifts. Thus, by actions-that speak louder than
signal, and when the mother hears it, she quicklywords-the first is assured of its continued value and
returns. Both the cry of the infant and the responseplace in the family, and the threat of displacement
of the mother are well entrenched in the mammalianand abandonment is substantially lessened.
brain. (MacLean, 1973, 1985) This has been necessaryThis better case scenario was learned by the first
for survival in mammals since the ancestors of theauthor through an experience with puppies. We had
duck bill platypus, and natural selection assures itsan adorable Pomeranian puppy for three weeks and
perpetuation. Without this means of bringing thethen decided it needed a companion. When the
mammalian mother and infant together, infants wouldsecond arrived, the first snarled and pulled back.
die and the species gradually would become extinct.Instinctively I snatched up the first puppy, hugged it,
Thus the fear of separation is "built in," and it is partmade a big fuss over it, and when I set it down it
of a primary survival mechanism. Separation,wagged its tail and walked up to lick the face of the
therefore, can be so frightening and can produce sosecond. All it had needed was assurance of its own
much stress that it literally can lead to death.position before it could welcome the addition of the
Anaclitic deaths among humans have beensecond puppy.
documented and this has been recognized in otherThe worst case scenario was gleaned from histories
mammalian species as well.of a number of patients who had schizophrenia or
Since separation from the mother is closely linkeddepression. The ideal is more hypothetical, based on
with survival, we must pay particular attention topractical experience and conjecture. While this does
anything that can cause the infant to fear separation,not represent scientific research, we must begin
as we explore the range of infant trauma andsomewhere.