Background. Psychiatric mother and baby units are increasingly asked to assess parenting in people with severe mental illness, particularly schizophrenia, but little research evidence exists on which to base assessments.

Method. Mother–infant interaction was assessed in 26 women who had recovered from the acute phase of severe post-partum mental disorder, a validated rating scale based on direct observation was used.

Results. Women with schizophrenia showed greater interaction deficits than those with affective disorders, being more remote, insensitive, intrusive and self-absorbed. The 4-month-old infants of women with schizophrenia were more avoidant, and the overall quality of mother–infant interaction in schizophrenia was poorer.

Conclusion. The long-term significance of these preliminary findings is not known but they raise concerns about the parenting capacity of women with schizophrenia and suggest the need for an intervention to improve parenting skills in this group.