[Joint hospitalisation of mentally ill mothers and their children (author's transl)].

Joint admission of mothers with puerperal psychoses and their babies to the psychiatric hospital has proved successful. This not only avoids possible damage to the child and to the mother-child relationship as a result of prolonged separation; it appears that in fact the mother herself recovers more rapidly and is more self-assured in managing the child after her discharge from hospital. This, in turn, reduces the danger of a relapse and helps to stabilize the mother-child relationship. Joint admission of mother and infant is advisable whenever the neurotic signs shown by the mother centre around the relation to her baby. Joint admission is usually technically easy, while making exacting demands on the nursing staff. It requires detailed planning and organisation coupled with continual and close supervision. Under these conditions, joint hospitalisation of mother and child represents a widening of our therapeutic possibilities.