Definition: The word puerperal psychosis should be dropped because of the wide range of presentation of the illness, coupled with the lack of well defined psychotic syndromes specific to the puerperium.   The international classification of diseases (ICD) recommends that psychiatric illnesses occuring soon after birth should be classified according to the predominant clinical feature [...]

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Severe major postnatal depression develops within the first few weeks after delivery. It usually has an insidious onset, unlike puerperal sepsis which has a sudden onset. Incidence: Severe major postnatal depression affects about 3 to 5 % of women delivered. It is more common in women who have undergone stressful childbirth and its aftermath. The [...]

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This is the commonest psychiatric condition following childbirth. It is estimated that up to 50% of women experience maternity blues. Maternity blues is an affective psychiatric disorder that does not usually develop into frank psychiatric disorders such as puerperal psychosis and major postnatal depression. Clinical features and presentation: It usually presents with sudden onset of [...]

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For many women pregnancy is an emotionally distressing experience, even though there is a general belief that significant psychiatric disorders and specifically suicide is rare during pregnancy. Factors contributing to psychiatric disorders in pregnancy include: i) Hormonal changes in pregnancy. ii) Changes in body image. iii) Activation of unconscious psychological process specific to pregnancy. iv) [...]

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