Ecopsychology and the Human Newborn Ibone Olza 1 and Sharon E. MacDonnell 2 1 Child Psychiatry Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain. 2 Author and Photographer Cumberland, Canada. Abstract How and when does the ecological unconscious develop in the human newborn? Research from the neurobiological findings of attachment theory has shown the deleterious effect of mother sepa- ration on the brain development of newborns. Innovations in new- born care, research into the myriad personal and social advantages of breastfeeding, and the introduction of Kangaroo Mother Care has generated new evidence to suggest that the human newborn’s natural habitat is skin-to-skin contact with the mother. In this habitat, all newborns have a programmed behavior, which in the immediate period after birth is to breastfeed. The authors’ hypothesis is that the deep divide the humans currently experience from the natural world may be a psychological sequel of early environmental disruption. Traumatic medical interventions during birth, the loss of breast- feeding, and subsequent changes in brain chemistry from prolonged mother separation could normalize a disconnection from nature. From an ecopsychological point of view, understanding the im- plications of increased medical intervention in birth and early childcare, and how the return to the ‘‘original paradigm’’ of more physiological childbirth and childcare practices, could lead to a greater understanding of how the ecological unconscious develops, or fails to develop, in children of urbanized industrialized nations. Introduction E co-psychology explores the deep evolutionary history of relationships between humans and nature and aims to understand the psychological processes that either bonds us with nature or alienates us from the natural world. A central idea is that human health, including physical, psychologi- cal, and spiritual wellbeing, is dependent on the health of our planet and all the ecosystems functioning within it. One of the goals of ecopsychology is to heal the divide created by our epistemologi- cal fallacy: the tendency to think of mind and nature as separate. The term ‘‘ecological unconscious’’ was coined by Roszak (1992) to define ‘‘our need for a sympathetic bond with the natural world as a defining feature of human consciousness’’ (Roszak, 2009) and also as the one aspect of consciousness that has been weakened in modern urban–industrial cultures. Understanding how this eco- logical unconscious develops from infancy could help ecopsy- chologists develop better ways of promoting more balanced and holistic mental health. It would offer new approaches for eco- therapists, especially those working with children, pregnant women, and new fathers. In this article, we will summarize recent findings from the interrelated fields of womb ecology, birth psychology, neurobiology of attachment, and ecofeminism, which we think can shed light on this topic, and suggest exciting directions for future research in the new and necessary field of developmental ecopsychology. How Does Attachment to Nature Start? As caesarean rates continue to increase worldwide, and the percentage of breastfeeding women in most Western countries continues to drop, irrespective of World Health Organization rec- ommendations, there is a growing awareness about the risks of excessive medical interventions in childbirth and postpartum care ( Johanson et al., 2002). Consumer groups in industrialized coun- tries are now demanding a return to the midwifery model of pre- natal and postpartum care (Goer, 2004). Midwifery care puts women back at the center of the birth scene and respects the physiology of normal labor. The process of giving birth is genetically encoded in the body. Natural physiological childbirth without the use of drugs and medical interventions is a total experience involving body, mind, and spirit. For this natural labor to happen, it is crucial to respect the laboring woman’s need for privacy, safety, and letting go, meaning a capacity to disconnect cortex activity and let the primitive brain do the work. To disrupt the natural flow of this process can have far-reaching implications in the psychological wellbeing of both mother and infant. DOI: 10.1089/eco.2009.0027 ª MARY ANN LIEBERT, INC. . VOL. 2 NO. 2 . JUNE 2010 ECOPSYCHOLOGY 105