Philosophy behind science. Confirming affectivity, the dawn of human life: the pre-, peri- and postnatal affective-confirming. Haptonomic accompaniment of parents and their child.

This article gives a short introduction to the science of Haptonomy and more specially to the application of its specific phenomenality of psychotactile affective contact and interaction during prenatal and postnatal life and during childbirth. The neurophysiological implications and the influence of this approach on the pain threshold are briefly mentioned, as well as psychological influences on the postnatal development of the child. Finally, there is a critical commentary on the use of the ultra-sound scan.