Despite speculation that Madeleine may have been killed, Kate and Gerry McCann are determined to find their daughter.
They have pledged to continue the search for their eldest child but experts have given a warning.
They say that even if she is found alive, the four-year-old could be so psychologically damaged by her ordeal that she will have lost the natural bond with her parents.
Child psychologist Ruth Coppard said that as time goes by Madeleine will start to forget her parents and would probably turn away at first if she was found.
The Yorkshire-based practitioner said: "A child builds up a strong bond with its parents and if they are suddenly taken away from them, they feel betrayed.
"With Madeleine, there would definitely be a feeling of hurt and betrayal, and it is a possibility she could feel very angry towards her parents.
"If they are re-united, it won't be a case of falling right back into old routines.
"It will take a tremendous amount of effort from a lot of people to rebuild the bond.
"Once she has calmed down she would eventually accept them back as her parents, but it could take months, even years, for her to trust them enough to be her old self."
And Ms Coppard believes Madeleine could forget her parents altogether if she has been cared for well.
She added: "The longer Madeleine is missing, the more likely it is that she will forget her parents altogether.
"Children need to be loved and they are always looking for someone who they can have that loving attachment with.
"Maddie could maybe remember being happy in her first three-years of life, but she probably wouldn't be able to recall who she had those happy times with.
"If she is in the arms of another family, who care for her tremendously, she could eventually build up the kind of emotional bond with them she once had with her parents.
Madeleine vanished 104 days ago from a holiday chalet in the Algarve village of Praia da Luz as her parents dined at a local restaurant.
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