The two sets of parents in the Baby Ann case must set aside their differences if they are to act in the best interests of the two-year-old, an expert in child welfare has said.
Colman Noctor, a child psychotherapist in Tallaght hospital, said the transfer of the child to her natural birth parents would have to be an unhurried process. He added that the inevitable trauma experienced by her might not manifest itself for several years.
"The transfer would have to be very gradual. Infants are such absorbent beings and any tension between the couples will be picked up and there is need for the child to be protected from that if she is to bond with the natural parents."
Baby Ann's natural parents had withdrawn their consent to her adoption and had married since her birth. She had lived with her prospective adoptive parents since she was four months old.
Mr Noctor said such a young child would be less reliant on language and would tend to rely on emotions, body language and such cues in forming opinions of whether people could be trusted.
"The adults must put aside their differences for the wellbeing of the child," he said.
The task facing the birth parents, effectively as "new parents", was significant and one in which they would need a lot of support.
The birth mother, in particular, would need support in "attuning" to her daughter. When a new mother took on her newborn child, he said, the two learned together. Here, the baby had already attuned herself to the responses and rhythms of one set of parents and had become used to the consistency of one set of care-givers.
When a child noticed their care-giver was different, Mr Noctor added, there was a danger they would have an impaired ability to form emotional attachments.
