also after birth. piontelli interpreted her observations in psychoanalytical terms. piontelli saw a remarkable continuity between pre- and postnatal mental development. her study is important, because it combines the assessment of empirical data with the observation of single case studies in the postnatal phase and also in infancy. her study use equally the methods of academic psychology together with the hermeneutics of psychoanalysis, what makes it unique in the scientific landscape.