Primary care from the infant’s perspective

Primary care from the infant’s perspective

For families, primary care ideally implies a health professional relationship of trust and continuity. From a systems perspective, primary care is the frontline of accessible, preventive care. For a baby, it could be said primary care is the first place where they are seen as a person. This talk will draw on clinical and research work and video vignettes to consider the central importance of a relational IMH approach within primary care and family medicine.

Dr. Susan Nicolson is a family doctor of 30 years’ experience and an infant mental health clinician. She is an Associate Professor in the Department General Practice and Primary Care, University of Melbourne. At the Royal Women’s Hospital in Melbourne, Susan works in the women’s mental health service and is the site lead for NBO Australasia. She is a master trainer in the Newborn Behavioral Observations (NBO) system and in that role has worked with Ububele Psychotherapy Trust in South Africa and Mallee District Aboriginal Service in Australia.  She and colleagues conducted the first RCT to test the NBO in an at-risk Australian population (Nicolson, Carron and Paul, IMHJ, 2023). Susan practices and advocates for perinatal and infant mental health support integrated within frontline care.