This article's tone or style may not reflect the encyclopedic tone used on Wikipedia.(October 2021) |
Psychiatric disorders of childbirth (parturition, labor, delivery), as opposed to those of pregnancy or the postpartum period, are psychiatric complications that develop during or immediately following childbirth. Despite modern obstetrics and pain control, these disorders are still observed. Most often, psychiatric disorders of childbirth present as delirium, stupor, rage, acts of desperation, or neonaticide. [1] These psychiatric complications are rarely seen in patients under modern medical supervision. However, care disparities between Europe, North America, Australia, Japan, and other countries with advanced medical care and the rest of the world persist. The wealthiest nations represent 10 million births each year out of the world's total of 135 million. These nations have a maternal mortality rate (MMR) of 6–20/100,000. Poorer nations with high birth rates can have an MMR more than 100 times higher. [2] In Africa, India & South East Asia, as well as Latin America, these complications of parturition may still be as prevalent as they have been throughout human history.
In nations with state-of-the-art obstetric services, childbirth is usually supervised by a midwife or obstetrician. Pain can be relieved by nitrous oxide, pethidine or an epidural anesthetic. Complications can be dealt with promptly, if necessary, by emergency Caesarean section. These services are now standard procedure in many countries. Even so, parturition can still be a severe ordeal, and at least one third find it to be a traumatic experience. [3] Women may spend anywhere from a few hours to a few days in labor, thus leading to an emotionally and physically intense experience, as shown by the frequency of post-traumatic stress disorder. The complications listed below, though rare, can still occur.
"Historic childbirth" is a term used to describe the birth of children before the introduction of effective pain relief in 1847. [4] During that time psychiatric complications were clearly described, well recognized and common in countries with the best health services. Those conditions still exist in nations with high birth rates and a dearth of trained staff. At the beginning of this century only about one third of births in tropical Africa and South-East Asia were attended by doctors or midwives. [5] Although there has been some improvement since then, [6] [7] it is still true that about half the births in many nations are not supervised by skilled attendants. Traditional birth attendants are widespread.
The third setting is concealed labor, endured by a woman who has dissembled her pregnancy. Not only is there no analgesia or skilled attendance, but there is no emotional support; on the contrary, the mother's mental state is disturbed by anger, fear, shame or despair. Most neonaticides occur in this setting. Perpetrators have rarely given a personal account, but experienced obstetricians have attempted a graphic description of their state of mind. [8] [9] There is objective evidence that complications are much more common. [10]
The word comes from the Greek τόκος (tókos), meaning parturition. Early authors like Ideler [11] wrote about this fear, and, in 1937, Binder [12] drew attention to a group of women who sought sterilization because of tokophobia. In the last 40 years there have been a series of papers published mainly from Scandinavia. Tokophobia can be primary (before the first child is born) or secondary (typically after extremely traumatic deliveries). Elective Caesarean section is one solution, but psychotherapy can also help these women to give birth vaginally. [13]
Factitious disorder (self-induced illness) can take many forms, and, during pregnancy, they include obstetric complications such as antepartum bleeding and hyperemesis. [14] [15] They also include simulation of labour by contractions of the abdominal muscles [16] or manipulation of tocodynamometry. [17] [18] [19] Other women have induced premature labour by rupture of the membranes or by prostaglandin suppositories or both. [20] These extreme cases illustrate the strong wish that some women have to bring pregnancy to an end; occasionally they importunately demand premature delivery, whatever the risk to the infant.
Under the name 'parturient delirium', this is defined [21] as an acute (usually sudden) clouding of consciousness, lasting minutes or hours, with full recovery. Onset is usually towards the end of labour, and recovery after the birth. Any of the following may be observed – incoherent speech, misidentification of persons, visual hallucinations, inappropriate behaviour such as singing, or memory loss for the episode. A phasic course, with alternate delirium and clarity, continuation into the puerperium, and recurrence after another pregnancy have been described in a few cases.
It was one of the first psychiatric disorders, related to childbearing, to be described, [22] and its importance in the early 19th century is indicated by an early classification, stating that it was one of two recognized forms of puerperal insanity. [23] More than 50 cases have been described, most of them in the epoch when parturition was endured without effective pain relief. The disorder has almost disappeared in nations with advanced obstetrics, with only two early 20th century reports. [24] [25] But, within the last ten years, there were 28 nations in which fewer than half the births were attended by skilled birth attendants; they included Nigeria, Pakistan, Ethiopia and Bangladesh, each with more than 3 million births/year. [6] In 2012, it was estimated that 130-180 million infants would be delivered in the quinquennium 2011-2015 without skilled birth attendance. [7] There are still many countries where parturition in the 21st century is like that in Europe in the early 19th century, and women are at risk of becoming delirious during labour.
Childbirth can occur during natural sleep, [26] and under excessively heavy sedation, including alcohol intoxication. [27] A diverse list of medical disorders have led to delivery during coma, including head injury, antepartum bleeding, severe hypotension and hypothermia. [28] Of these the commonest is eclampsia. [29] There are ten cases in the literature of unexplained stupor or coma, including cases with features of catatonia. [30]
In women facing death during obstructed labour, panic or despair can drive them to take desperate remedies. There are about twenty cases of suicide or suicide attempts. [31] The suicidal motive is not depression or shame, but unbearable pain and despair. The methods – throwing themselves out of the window, hanging or drowning – show the extremity of the woman's suffering.
There are more than 20 descriptions of auto-Caesarean section. [32] In a few cases the apparent motive has been psychiatric illness, but the majority were either the destruction of an unwanted child, or desperate remedies when the infant cannot be delivered and the nearest obstetric unit was beyond reach. Most of these cases have been reported from poor countries, where contributions to literature are scarce, and they may be more common there. The mother usually survives, but few infants survive.
Various psychoses can start during labor. [33] Of the organic psychoses, eclamptic, Donkin, epileptic and infective psychoses have all started during labor, although postpartum onset is usual. These differ from parturient delirium in their duration, lasting at least a few days, rather than a few hours. In addition, there are 19 cases of bipolar episodes with onset during labor; they differ from parturient delirium in their symptomatology (mania rather than delirium) and duration measured in weeks. These cases are evidence that, on the balance of probability, the trigger of bipolar/cycloid episodes is already active during parturition.
During the final painful contractions which lead to the expulsion of the infant, some women have become extremely angry. Before the introduction of effective pain relief (1847), obstetricians were familiar with this, and referred to it under names like parturient rage, furor uterinus, Wut der Gebärenden and colère d'accouchées. Some mothers lost control and attacked their husbands, obstetricians, midwives or other attendants. At one time it was common, and clearly described. [34] [35] It still occurs occasionally under modern obstetric conditions. The infant is at risk, because angry mothers have reached down to haul the baby out, or made a dangerous assault on the new-born; for example, a 40-year-old mother, at the end of her 1st pregnancy, kicked away the midwife, tore out the infant, and killed it by striking its head against the bedpost. [36] In most neonaticides, the infant is killed by suffocation, drowning or exposure. But in a minority there is extraordinary brutality – the head smashed with multiple fractures or splintering of bone, the head cut or torn off, the infant stabbed many times, or a combination of these. The pathology bears witness to the mother's mental state. Nowadays, this phenomenon would not be regarded as a mental illness, and the only diagnosis could be 'unspecified disorder of adult personality and behaviour. [37] But this has not always been so. In France, Esquirol mentioned a mother who stabbed her infant 26 times with a pair of scissors; she was acquitted because the judges considered that she was suffering from mental derangement. [38] There is an insoluble judicial problem, because violence is sometimes a feature of delirium; in a clandestine birth, it is impossible to know whether consciousness was clouded or not.
Immediately after giving birth, an exhausted mother, fainting or in shock, may not be able to care for the new-born, who often needs resuscitation, and can suffocate in mucus or blood. Exhaustion alone, without syncope or delirium, can prevent a mother from helping a dying infant; in clandestine labors, it can be fatal to the new-born, without mens rea.
Brief states of delirium have been described with onset after the birth, less common but similar to those that occur during parturition. There are about 20 in the literature. [39] Several of them have been accompanied by violence, and, after recovery a few hours later, followed by amnesia. Occasionally mothers have had recurrent episodes.
Postpartum stupor has been described, [40] [41] beginning immediately or very shortly after the birth. The mother remains speechless, immobile and unresponsive to any stimuli for hours or even a day or more. [42] These stupors differ in duration and clinical features from postpartum bipolar disorder. They have been phasic, with recovery and relapse. Their causes are unknown.
Postpartum PTSD was first described in 1978. [43] Since then more than 100 papers have been published. After excessively painful labors, or those with a disturbing loss of control, fear of death or infant loss, or complications requiring forceps delivery or emergency Caesarean section, some mothers experience symptoms similar to those occurring after other harrowing experiences; these include intrusive memories (flashbacks), nightmares, and a high-tension state, with avoidance of triggers such as hospitals or words associated with parturition. [44] The frequency depends on criteria and severity, but figures of 2-4% are representative; [45] these symptoms can last for many months. [46] Some avoid further pregnancy (secondary tocophobia), and those who become pregnant again may experience a return of symptoms, especially in the last trimester. These mothers can be helped by counseling soon after birth [47] or a variety of trauma-focused psychological therapies. [48]
Another reaction to a severe experience of childbirth is pathological complaining ( paranoia querulans in the International Classification of Diseases). [49] These mothers complain bitterly about perceived mismanagement. The complaints, directed at midwives or other staff members, vary from lack of pain relief, unnecessary epidural anesthesia, poor condition of the baby, humiliation or 'dehumanization', excessive use of technology, student examinations, or lack of explanation and sympathy. [50] Occasionally the content is truly absurd – one mother's intense resentment was her husband suggesting the wrong name for the infant. In response to these 'outrages', mothers may harangue the midwives repeatedly or write critical letters and are preoccupied with fantasies of revenge – 'beating the midwives to pulp', 'smashing the doctor's head in', 'burning the hospital down'. Angry rumination may continue for weeks, months or more than a year. The frequency is similar to post-traumatic stress disorder, [51] and there is an association between the two complications. The effect on childcare is like that of severe depression, but the emotional state (furious anger, not sadness and despair) and treatment strategy are different. Psychotherapy is directed at distracting the mother from her grievances and reinforcing productive child-centered activity; a diary is a useful focus – the therapist listens with sympathy to her complaints, then turns to the written record, expressing pleasure and interest in the mother's achievements in spite of them.
Midwifery is the health science and health profession that deals with pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period, in addition to the sexual and reproductive health of women throughout their lives. In many countries, midwifery is a medical profession. A professional in midwifery is known as a midwife.
Caesarean section, also known as C-section or caesarean delivery, is the surgical procedure by which one or more babies are delivered through an incision in the mother's abdomen, often performed because vaginal delivery would put the baby or mother at risk. Reasons for the operation include obstructed labor, twin pregnancy, high blood pressure in the mother, breech birth, shoulder presentation, and problems with the placenta or umbilical cord. A caesarean delivery may be performed based upon the shape of the mother's pelvis or history of a previous C-section. A trial of vaginal birth after C-section may be possible. The World Health Organization recommends that caesarean section be performed only when medically necessary.
Childbirth, also known as labour, parturition and delivery, is the completion of pregnancy where one or more babies exits the internal environment of the mother via vaginal delivery or caesarean section. In 2019, there were about 140.11 million human births globally. In the developed countries, most deliveries occur in hospitals, while in the developing countries most are home births.
Postpartum depression (PPD), also called postnatal depression, is a type of mood disorder experienced after childbirth, which can affect both sexes. Symptoms may include extreme sadness, low energy, anxiety, crying episodes, irritability, and changes in sleeping or eating patterns. PPD can also negatively affect the newborn child.
The postpartum period begins after childbirth and is typically considered to last for six weeks. However, there are three distinct but continuous phases of the postnatal period; the acute phase, lasting for six to twelve hours after birth; the subacute phase, lasting six weeks; and the delayed phase, lasting up to six months. During the delayed phase, some changes to the genitourinary system take much longer to resolve and may result in conditions such as urinary incontinence. The World Health Organization (WHO) describes the postnatal period as the most critical and yet the most neglected phase in the lives of mothers and babies; most maternal and newborn deaths occur during this period.
A maternal bond is the relationship between a mother and her child. While typically associated with pregnancy and childbirth, a maternal bond may also develop in cases where the child is unrelated, such as an adoption.
Placentophagy, also known as placentophagia, is the act of consuming part or all of the afterbirth following parturition in mammals. Parturition involves the delivery of the neonate, as well as the placenta and fetal membranes. The placenta is a critical organ that develops in the maternal uterus during pregnancy to support the fetus. It connects to the fetus via the umbilical cord in order to allow nutrient transport, waste excretion and gas exchange between mother and fetus. The morphological features of the placenta differ among species, but the function is universal. The behaviour is characteristic to the mother of the majority of placental mammals. Significant documentation has been provided on placentophagy in a range of animals.
Complications of pregnancy are health problems that are related to, or arise during pregnancy. Complications that occur primarily during childbirth are termed obstetric labor complications, and problems that occur primarily after childbirth are termed puerperal disorders. While some complications improve or are fully resolved after pregnancy, some may lead to lasting effects, morbidity, or in the most severe cases, maternal or fetal mortality.
Ian Brockington is a British psychiatrist.
Postpartum blues, also known as baby blues and maternity blues, is a very common but self-limited condition that begins shortly after childbirth and can present with a variety of symptoms such as mood swings, irritability, and tearfulness. Mothers may experience negative mood symptoms mixed with intense periods of joy. Up to 85% of new mothers are affected by postpartum blues, with symptoms starting within a few days after childbirth and lasting up to two weeks in duration. Treatment is supportive, including ensuring adequate sleep and emotional support. If symptoms are severe enough to affect daily functioning or last longer than two weeks, the individual should be evaluated for related postpartum psychiatric conditions, such as postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety. It is unclear whether the condition can be prevented, however education and reassurance are important to help alleviate patient distress.
Psychoneuroendocrinology is the clinical study of hormone fluctuations and their relationship to human behavior. It may be viewed from the perspective of psychiatry, where in certain mood disorders, there are associated neuroendocrine or hormonal changes affecting the brain. It may also be viewed from the perspective of endocrinology, where certain endocrine disorders can be associated with negative health outcomes and psychiatric illness. Brain dysfunctions associated with the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis HPA axis can affect the endocrine system, which in turn can result in physiological and psychological symptoms. This complex blend of psychiatry, psychology, neurology, biochemistry, and endocrinology is needed to comprehensively understand and treat symptoms related to the brain, endocrine system (hormones), and psychological health..
Tokophobia is a significant fear of childbirth. It is a common reason why some women request an elective cesarean section. The fear often includes fear of injury to the baby, genital tract, or death. Treatment may occur via counselling.
A vaginal delivery is the birth of offspring in mammals through the vagina. It is the most common method of childbirth worldwide. It is considered the preferred method of delivery, with lower morbidity and mortality than Caesarean sections (C-sections).
Postpartum psychosis(PPP), also known as puerperal psychosis or peripartum psychosis, involves the abrupt onset of psychotic symptoms shortly following childbirth, typically within two weeks of delivery but less than 4 weeks postpartum. PPP is a condition currently represented under "Brief Psychotic Disorder" in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Volume V (DSM-V). Symptoms may include delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech (e.g, incoherent speech), and/or abnormal motor behavior (e.g., catatonia). Other symptoms frequently associated with PPP include confusion, disorganized thought, severe difficulty sleeping, variations of mood disorders (including depression, agitation, mania, or a combination of the above), as well as cognitive features such as consciousness that comes and goes (waxing and waning) or disorientation.
A postpartum disorder or puerperal disorder is a disease or condition which presents primarily during the days and weeks after childbirth called the postpartum period. The postpartum period can be divided into three distinct stages: the initial or acute phase, 6–12 hours after childbirth; subacute postpartum period, which lasts two to six weeks, and the delayed postpartum period, which can last up to six months. In the subacute postpartum period, 87% to 94% of women report at least one health problem. Long term health problems are reported by 31% of women.
Thyroid disease in pregnancy can affect the health of the mother as well as the child before and after delivery. Thyroid disorders are prevalent in women of child-bearing age and for this reason commonly present as a pre-existing disease in pregnancy, or after childbirth. Uncorrected thyroid dysfunction in pregnancy has adverse effects on fetal and maternal well-being. The deleterious effects of thyroid dysfunction can also extend beyond pregnancy and delivery to affect neurointellectual development in the early life of the child. Due to an increase in thyroxine binding globulin, an increase in placental type 3 deioidinase and the placental transfer of maternal thyroxine to the fetus, the demand for thyroid hormones is increased during pregnancy. The necessary increase in thyroid hormone production is facilitated by high human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) concentrations, which bind the TSH receptor and stimulate the maternal thyroid to increase maternal thyroid hormone concentrations by roughly 50%. If the necessary increase in thyroid function cannot be met, this may cause a previously unnoticed (mild) thyroid disorder to worsen and become evident as gestational thyroid disease. Currently, there is not enough evidence to suggest that screening for thyroid dysfunction is beneficial, especially since treatment thyroid hormone supplementation may come with a risk of overtreatment. After women give birth, about 5% develop postpartum thyroiditis which can occur up to nine months afterwards. This is characterized by a short period of hyperthyroidism followed by a period of hypothyroidism; 20–40% remain permanently hypothyroid.
Childbirth-related post-traumatic stress disorder is a psychological disorder that can develop in women who have recently given birth. This disorder can also affect men or partners who have observed a difficult birth. Its symptoms are not distinct from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It may also be called post-traumatic stress disorder following childbirth (PTSD-FC)
Women's reproductive health in the United States refers to the set of physical, mental, and social issues related to the health of women in the United States. It includes the rights of women in the United States to adequate sexual health, available contraception methods, and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases. The prevalence of women's health issues in American culture is inspired by second-wave feminism in the United States. As a result of this movement, women of the United States began to question the largely male-dominated health care system and demanded a right to information on issues regarding their physiology and anatomy. The U.S. government has made significant strides to propose solutions, like creating the Women's Health Initiative through the Office of Research on Women's Health in 1991. However, many issues still exist related to the accessibility of reproductive healthcare as well as the stigma and controversy attached to sexual health, contraception, and sexually transmitted diseases.
Abuse during childbirth is generally defined as interactions or conditions deemed humiliating or undignified by local consensus and interactions or conditions experienced as or intended to be humiliating or undignifying. Bowser and Hill's 2010 landscape analysis defined seven categories of abusive or disrespectful care, including physical abuse, non-consented clinical care, non-confidential care, non-dignified care, discrimination, abandonment, and detention in health facilities.
Mental disorders can be a consequence of miscarriage or early pregnancy loss. Even though women can develop long-term psychiatric symptoms after a miscarriage, acknowledging the potential of mental illness is not usually considered. A mental illness can develop in women who have experienced one or more miscarriages after the event or even years later. Some data suggest that men and women can be affected up to 15 years after the loss. Though recognized as a public health problem, studies investigating the mental health status of women following miscarriage are still lacking. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can develop in women who have experienced a miscarriage. Risks for developing PTSD after miscarriage include emotional pain, expressions of emotion, and low levels of social support. Even if relatively low levels of stress occur after the miscarriage, symptoms of PTSD including flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, dissociation and hyperarousal can later develop. Clinical depression also is associated with miscarriage. Past responses by clinicians have been to prescribe sedatives.
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link){{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link){{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link){{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link){{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link){{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link){{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link){{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link){{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)