A Mother and Baby Unit in a Psychiatric Hospital

Abstract

Two rooms where women with puerperal psychiatric illness could be admitted together with their babies were provided in a general psychiatric unit. Over a 21-month-period demand for joint admission far exceeded capacity and most referrals could not be accepted. Women with various psychiatric disorders were referred to and managed in the unit. Greatest demand was for young women suffering from psychosis following childbirth.

Review of Patients Admitted to a Specialist Inpatient Parent-Infant Psychiatric Service

“…The finding of PND as the most common reason for admission to APIP is in keeping with other chart review studies of MBU admissions conducted both in Australia 7,11–13 and worldwide. 3,14–18 In addition, although this study was not an epidemiological study nor assessed symptom severity, the number of women admitted with depression as a proportion of all admissions (69/149; 46.3%), is consistent with that reported by others.…”

“…This is consistent with previous perinatal psychiatry studies which did not report significant differences in psychosocial variables according to diagnosis. 11,12,20,25 The current findings may simply reflect a statistical irregularity that is not consistent with clinical experience. Alternatively, they highlight the importance of individual demographic and psychosocial circumstance on the development of a mood disorder that is lost when patient data are pooled for statistical analysis.…”

“…Of the inpatient admissions reviewed in this study, approximately 70% included reports of a psychiatric history prior to admission. Several other studies 7,11–13,19–24 have collected this type of information and rates of previous psychopathologies have ranged from 14% to 75%. The results of this study confirm past psychiatric history is more likely in women who present with a mood disorder during the early postnatal period.…”

Postnatal Depression and Psychosis — A Mother and Baby Unit in a General Hospital

“…Of the 5 who reported a close relationship to their fathers, 1 had lived with her father after her parents separated and she remained guilty about intercourse, considering it dirty. Sharp et al(1986) previously reported on a mother baby unit at a neighbouring psychiatric hospital, Larundel, where a comparable 14 admissions occurred over a 21-month period (4). However their diagnostic profile involved only 4 depressed patients, with 1 bipolar and 9 schizophrenics.…”

Nature, severity and correlates of psychological distress in women admitted to a private mother–baby unit

“…8 A range of studies has characterized the nature of presenting problems of women and infants admitted to specialized psychiatric and public access residential parentcraft units. [9][10][11][12][13] The aim of the present study was to establish the nature, severity and correlates of psychological distress in women admitted with their infants to the Masada Private Hospital Mother-Baby Unit (MPHMBU).…”