Puerperal psychosis: associated clinical features in a psychiatric hospital mother-baby unit.

OBJECTIVE

Current psychiatric diagnostic systems do not regard puerperal psychosis as a separate entity. However, there is continuing debate about the validity and clinical utility of this concept. This paper aims to investigate the prognostic importance of a number of clinical features in a sample of patients with puerperal psychosis.

METHOD

A retrospective case note study was conducted on 42 consecutive admissions to a mother-baby unit in a psychiatric hospital. Data were collected on a range of variables, and diagnoses made according to DSM-III-R and RDC criteria for puerperal psychosis.

RESULTS

Maternal hostility toward the baby was the only studied variable to increase the likelihood of the baby being cared for by someone other than the mother, indicating the mother's inability to safely care for the baby.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings tentatively suggest that it is maternal hostility toward the baby, not puerperal psychosis per se that is associated with foster care.