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Puerperal  (postnatal) psychosis

Causes of puerperal psychosis

Postnatal psychosis is more commonly known as puerperal psychosis.  Somebody with puerperal psychosis will exhibit wildly swinging moods, being euphoric one moment and in the depth of depression the next. It is an alteration of the mental state and is NOT depression of mood. It should not be confused with postnatal depression. The two are distinct conditions which are neither similar nor related.

 

It is important to realize that, with puerperal psychosis, the baby is at risk and even though he or she should ideally be kept with the mother, this should be coupled with adequate continuous vigilance to ensure he or she is not harmed by the mother. There are tragic experiences of such mothers strangling their babies.

 

Another potential problem not to be taken lightly is that of contraception. Because of mood swings, these patients are particularly prone to unprotected sex. This could easily lead to unplanned - and, in most cases, unwanted - pregnancy. This could complicate the picture enormously. It is therefore essential to ensure this aspect is addressed in the overall management strategy. The partner has a crucial role to play in this.

 

Treatment for puerperal psychosis

It is unusual to manage postnatal psychosis at home. Hospital admission is almost always required and this could be in the psychiatric ward where the medical experts are based. Anti-psychotic medication will be continued for as long as necessary. Almost all such patients make a full recovery.

 

Recurrence of  postnatal psychosis

Yes. There is slight increase in risk of a recurrence. There are no known effective measures to reduce this risk.

Postnatal sex and contraception: Next Page