A Portuguese newspaper printed comments from a child therapist who said Sean and Amelie McCann could suffer long-term damage after being told their sister is missing.
But the McCanns' spokeswoman hit back at the allegations and insisted that the couple feel they were right to tell the twins.
Justine McGuinness said: "They have taken professional advice right from the beginning about how to handle this with the children.
"They are loving parents of the twins and take their parenting responsibilities very seriously.
"They would never do or say anything that would cause them distress or hinder their development.
"They have handled it extremely delicately over the four months, using careful language appropriate for their age which has been given by experts to help the children understand why Madeleine is not with them.
"It has been done in a way that helps the children feel safe and secure and know that everything is being done to help bring Madeleine back home.
"It has been an ongoing conversation over the four months, it has been a gradual process."
Kate and Gerry originally told the twins that Madeleine had gone on a "short holiday".
But after taking advice from child psychologists, they finally told them the truth last month.
Since Madeleine went missing, the McCanns have tried to keep life as normal as possible for Sean and Amelie.
Last weekend, they enjoyed a trip to a local zoo in the Algarve and visited a friend's house for a swim in their pool.
McCanns Launch Legal Action 31/08/07
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