Monday, May 7, 2007

Puerperal Psychosis


Puerperal Psychosis: This is most severe form of this depression and occurs very rarely. There may be one or two cases in every 1000 new mothers and if is different from postnatal depression. In this illness, the mother may seem to lose touch with reality from time to time. She may even have hallucinations and have mood swings. Sometimes she maybe very energetic and at other times very lethargic. This kind of behavior can be upsetting to her family members, who will soon realize that she is ill whereas in postnatal depression the family members may not know that the mother is depressed until she tells them explicitly. In most cases, the mother will have to be hospitalized, preferably with the baby. The patients can recover completely though it may take some time.
Mothers facing postnatal depression must look for support and help from where ever they can get it. Whether it is their family, friends, mother-to-mother support groups or doctors. They must ensure they get help; otherwise, it will affect both the mother and her newborn baby.

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