| Abstract: | In cases of severe physical abuse of babies, the usual dynamics uncovered are a parental history of abuse and deprivation, lack of family support, extreme family stressors, bonding failure to the baby, and/or parental mental illness, including depression or psychosis. This paper presents four cases, from a sample of several hundred abusive families, that do not encompass the usual “abusive” dynamics outlined above. In all four cases, the abuse was perpetrated in the first few months postpartum, against a background of good physical care of the baby, an apparently adequate bond to the baby, and negative psychiatric findings in the abusing parent. The similarities within these four cases were striking, particularly the use of denial to deal with conflicts and long-standing difficulty in expressing any ambivalence in attachment relationships. An explanation of the complex dynamics involved in such cases is offered, and the difficulties in detection and intervention are addressed. |
