A prospective study of postpartum psychoses in a high‐risk group

Abstract

Among the offspring of 88 pregnant index women with a history of nonorganic psychosis, offspring whose mothers developed postpartum psychotic episodes (PPPs) following birth (maximum n = 17) were compared with the remaining index offspring on emotional development during the first year of life, temperament characteristics during the first 2 years, and mental characteristics at 6 years of age. The maternal PPPs were not associated with any negative consequences for offspring development, and the offspring of PPP cases evidenced a number of more positive mental developmental characteristics than did other index offspring. Further comparison with offspring of normal-risk controls also supported the conclusion of no negative effect caused by maternal PPPs. Choice of an appropriate comparison group for PPP cases is discussed.

Motherhood for women with serious mental illness: Pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period.

“…For example, an epidemiological study of psychiatric problems during and after pregnancy found that of 10.3% of a representative sample of women obstetric patients who fit a depressive diagnosis, 28% maintained this diagnosis at a postpartum assessment (Gotlib, Whiffen, Mount, Milne, & Cordy, 1989). McNeil (1986) similarly found that 28% of women with a psychiatric history experienced postpartum psychotic episodes, compared to those with no such history. On the other hand, a subgroup of these women experienced dramatic reductions in postpartum psychotic episodes with each childbirth experience (McNeil, 1988).…”