Postpartum Psychosis ("PPP")

About 1 in a thousand women experience psychosis following childbirth. The illness usually starts suddenly, most often within the first 2 weeks postpartum.

The condition often manifests with these symptoms:

• Delusions or strange beliefs

• Hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that aren’t there)

• Feeling very irritated

• Hyperactivity

• Decreased need for or inability to sleep

• Paranoia and suspiciousness

• Rapid mood swings

• Difficulty communicating at times

The most significant risk factors for postpartum psychosis are a personal or family history of bipolar disorder, or a previous psychotic episode. Of the women who experience postpartum psychosis, studies have suggested that there is approximately a 5% suicide rate and a 4% infanticide rate associated with the illness.