Thanks for the information on Renee Spitz's work.  My only exposure to
non-touching parents has been a German neighbor.  She got pregnant by a
US army fellow stationed overseas.  She said she gave birth in a German
hospital run by nuns.  They didn't allow her to hold him back then in
1975 and fed the baby "tea."   After the dad rescued the boy to a US
military hospital, nurses got her to feed his bottles and told her
she'd have to show up daily to learn to become his caretaker.

They came to live across the street from us when he was 3 or four.  He
did have some mental deficits, had a hard time in school and was
evaluated for "special ed." classes.  Interestingly, his head was
misshapen from too much lying down.  The mom's next two kids were left
in their German baby carriage while in the house and had flattish
heads also.  She never picked up the next two, except to breastfeed
them.  But they did thrive physically and became social survivors.

We read the eldest boy died at age 21.  My two daughters and their
friend next door who were his playmates were shocked and saddened.
The coroner said he had a developmental disorder and had been in
adult assisted living for a few years prior to his death.

He was a handsome, blond kid with fabulous smile whom the father wished
to be a great basketball star--to make lots of money.  But the child was
uncoordinated and had trouble learning to ride a bike.  All the dad did
was verbally abuse him from the time he was little.  This kid had no
chance.  Their German Shepherd dog got more petting than he.
Judy Ritchie

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