Chook Me!

Can incubators have any psychological effects on a person later on in life?

I am really interested in this, as I was wondering if it can have any sort of unconscious psychological affect as many people who were in incubators were in them for a few weeks as baby's without a lot of natural contact with parents. What do you think? Also is their any research into this? Thanks xxxx Kåliû3W- I understand that they will not have memory of that time but could the feelings of that situation still be present?

Public Comments

1. Child Of Our Time once did a small study on this, and found that children who spent their early days/weeks in an incubator weren't as 'cuddly' as other children, because they spent their first days being poked and prodded with needles they just didn't seek comfort from their parents as much as other children. Also they took lots of children into the nurseries where the incubators are kept, and found that those who had been in one were less frightened of all the machines, and wanted to play with them. While the other children didn't know what to make of it and stayed away. They were all about three or four at the time though, I don't really know how it would work out after twenty years or so.
2. I'm sure that it left some sort of impression. Newborns of all species are taking in tremendous amounts of Information, they probably got used to their environment and that became "home". Maybe they are more self reliant; but a little more cold toward others, who knows?
3. When a baby is placed in an incubator, the parents are encouraged to touch, stroke and speak softly to their child, they even get to hold them. Even the most critically ill newborn will have this kind of contact as it has been proven to increase their chances of survival. I don't believe there is a significant effect later on, because it is a similar environment to the womb. Now, if the child had IV's, tubes, and monitors attached to it, then I believe those experiences may have some effect, but memories at this age are generally not long-lasting.