Icart, Amélie
Sibling visits in neonatal intensive care: What fraternal resonances and psychological conflicts arise in the parent-child-caregiver triad?
- 2026.
19
Walking along the hushed corridors of a neonatal intensive care unit, one is often struck by the intensity of the atmosphere. In this unit, where patients are extremely vulnerable, “sibling visits” are regularly arranged. Beyond the obvious benefit for the older sibling(s) and their family, these encounters also reveal the dynamics between parents, patients, and caregivers. Through the clinical case of Sophie and our countertransference experiences, we reflect on the mechanisms at work among the various players involved in this encounter. We hypothesize that the arrival of older siblings in this context can re-activate libidinal dynamics in the parent-caregiver relationship and reintroduce latent psychic conflicts.