Child psychiatrists play a crucial role in the care of medically compromised infants and young children, both during acute hospitalization and in the months to years of recovery afterwards. Prematurity provides a model for the role of child psychiatry in the care of medically compromised infants, because prematurity affects not only the infant‘s development but also the family‘s functioning. The child psychiatrist, with a special interest in infancy and by virtue of his or her medical training, has an appreciation of the biologic aspects of the infant‘s illness and how these factors influence immediate and long-term development. Additionally, through an understanding of the dynamics of becoming a parent and developing attachments alongside loss and mourning, and of the persistent effects of traumatic experiences on later behaviors, the child psychiatrist is able to provide more comprehensive interventions for families struggling with the uncertainties of an infant‘s illness. By integrating these different domains of understanding, the child psychiatrist can help sensitize other professionals caring for the infant and family to the many needs of both that are integral to healthy development and adaptation in the recovery phase.