- Children were frequently shifted from one large, impersonal institution to another.
- They were often hospitalised for long periods of time without any contact with their families.
Having investigated the results of several studies in which children had been separated from their mothers. Bowlby described the stages through which infants pass when placed in institutions where they are denied mother-care. Initially they cry, throw themselves about and cling to adults when picked up, seeking and continuing to hope for love and attention. Then they become despairing, their activity diminishes, they cry less often and they make no demands on adults.
Later still, they withdraw from social interaction, becoming absorbed in their toys and acquiring such peculiar mannerisms as rigidity, rocking and fixed facial expressions. If they are picked up they struggled or cringe as if terrified of adults.
Bowlbys report to the World Health Organisation led to a complete reconsideration of the care provided for children being reared in institutions or experiencing hospitalisation. The subject of maternal deprivation has always been an emotive one, giving rise to extremes of opinion. In 1951, Bowlby concluded, .mother love in infancy and childhood is as important for mental health as are vitamins and proteins for physical health. .
At the other end of the extreme, Casler (1968) concludes: the human organism does not need maternal love in order to function normally. In 1969 Bowlby even went so far as to suggest that individuals suffering from any type of psychiatric disorder always show some kind of impairment in their capacity for forming relationships and that it is frequently a disturbance of bonding in childhood which has caused the later psychiatric disorder.
Its also worth noting at this point that Klaus and Kennell (1976) found that if a separation occurs during the first four hours following delivery, the mother may fail to establish a bond with her baby.