Objective: This pilot study investigated the effectiveness of brief EMDR intervention as compared to treatment-as-usual (TAU) in women with post-partum PTSD symptoms. Design:A pilot randomized controlled trial was conducted to evaluate possible differences between one EMDR session (n=19) and one TAU session (n=18) delivered in a maternity ward in the aftermath of childbirth. Main Outcome Measures:The primary outcome measure was the rate of remission of post-partum post-traumatic stress symptoms (i.e. IES-R score <23) in both groups at 6-weeks (T1) and 12-weeks post-partum (T2). Secondary outcome measures were mother-to-infant bonding, post-partum depressive symptoms, presence of flashbacks and level of distress.Results: Most of the women improved their post-partum post-traumatic stress symptoms after only one treatment session. EMDR resulted more effective than TAU in reducing the proportion of women with post-partum post-traumatic stress symptoms at six-weeks post-partum (78.9% EMDR vs. 39.9% TAU; p=.020). Moreover, women treated with EMDR experienced less flashbacks and distress as compared to TAU. No significant difference was found between treatments on motherto-infant bonding and post-partum depressive symptoms. 4Conclusions: These findings, although preliminary, suggest that a brief EMDR intervention could be a viable and promising tool in the early treatment of post-traumatic stress related to traumatic childbirth.

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