May 6, 2024 — Megan Tavares was 39 weeks pregnant and in the grocery store when her phone rang. Her doctor called and told her to rush to the hospital.A blood test that morning showed the now 41-year-old HELLP syndrome, which is associated with preeclampsia and requires immediate delivery. Nine hours later, her son was born.
Thankfully, Tavares, a licensed independent social worker from Somerset, Massachusetts, and her children survived the ordeal, but it was definitely traumatic; according to It is estimated that up to 24% of pregnant women and up to 34% of infants die from HELLP Yale University Medicine.
After Tavares was discharged from the hospital with her newborn son, she noticed the following symptoms: Postpartum Post Traumatic Stress Disorderor post-traumatic stress disorder.
“I became afraid to sleep because I was convinced I might die. I didn’t trust my body and became hypervigilant about anything health-related—I felt like a ticking time bomb,” she recalls.
Tavares told her ob-gyn about how she was feeling.
“She said it was completely normal considering what I was going through and that I was brave throughout the entire delivery,” Tavares said. Still, she continued to struggle for six months. “My PCP subsequently diagnosed me with Postpartum Post Traumatic Stress Disorderalso postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety”.
Many new moms are unaware that postpartum post-traumatic stress disorder exists, but it’s not uncommon.According to statistics, postpartum post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects approximately 8 million women worldwide each year data from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH. more importantly, a study Research from Spain found that 50% of women will suffer from postpartum stress disorder (PTSD) after giving birth.
There are signs within a month of giving birth that some kind of serious trauma has occurred to the new mother or baby, usually due to an unplanned C-section, the baby being sent to the neonatal intensive care unit, a forceps delivery, or a vacuum aspiration. Other medical complications, or lack of support from health care professionals during labor. While it is important for new mothers with postpartum PSTD symptoms to receive treatment, the condition often goes undiagnosed.
A new research Massachusetts General Hospital and Bar-Ilan University are trying to solve this problem. The research team used a low-cost form of artificial intelligence that could theoretically be used by any obstetrician-gynecologist to improve diagnosis.
In the study, nearly 1,300 women were asked to write 30 words describing their childbirth experience, focusing on the most traumatic parts, the study’s lead author explained. Dr. Sharon DeckerAssistant Professor of Psychology and Director, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School Postpartum Traumatic Stress Disorder Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital.
“The artificial intelligence model used to understand human language then analyzed the vocabulary and speech patterns used by the women to identify mental illness through the nuances of their language and the context of their sentences. We take the input and the model tells us whether the data represents trauma. PTSD,” she said.
The OpenAI model has a specificity/accuracy rate of 75% to 85% in diagnosing postpartum PTSD in women in this group. The researchers believe the technology could be easily integrated into routine obstetrics and gynecology care, hoping rapid intervention could help high-risk women.
Speed of diagnosis is critical, Decker said. “If a woman develops mental illness after a traumatic birth experience, this can harm the health of both mother and baby,” she said.
More about Postpartum Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Generally speaking, post-traumatic stress disorder can occur after a horrific event. When dealing with the shock of such an event, you may have flashbacks, nightmares, become very anxious, and often be unable to stop thinking about what happened.
and A recent study Research from Lomonosov Moscow State University in Russia suggests that postpartum post-traumatic stress disorder may first occur due to the horrific circumstances of childbirth, or it may be caused by previous trauma being reactivated during the stressful birth process. For example, researchers have found that women who experience sexual assault or childhood sexual abuse are more likely to suffer from postpartum post-traumatic stress disorder. What’s more, “racial discrimination during caregiving may also increase a woman’s risk,” Decker said.
In addition to serious medical complications or poor treatment by hospital staff, it can also result if a woman lacks control over her birth experience.
“Women may feel like a failure because they can’t deliver vaginally,” Decker says. “In some cases, postpartum PTSD can also be a hindrance to future pregnancies. This can lead to avoidance, where women say, ‘I’ll never do this again.’
Symptoms of Postpartum Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Feeling unusually nervous is an important characteristic. “You should pay attention to whether overall stress levels are higher than expected after giving birth and re-experience or avoid events that caused negative changes in your mood or thinking,” says Sarah Horvath, MD, MSHP, Assistant Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Penn State University Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA.
You can also:
- difficulty sleeping
- Stay “alert” at all times
- panic attack
- Feeling more and more depressed
Can postpartum post-traumatic stress disorder be prevented?
In some cases, yes.
“It’s really helpful to be prepared for potential PTSD,” Horvath said. “Take time to think about your ideal birth experience, but also consider potential experiences that might be less than ideal.” This can help you accept uncertainty so you can better cope when the unexpected happens.
Your ob-gyn can also assist.
“Patients should talk to their obstetrician ahead of time to set realistic expectations and express any potential fears or needs for additional support,” Horvath said. “In addition, if the patient has a trusted family physician, psychiatrist or psychologist Home, please work with them in advance to consider support and resiliency.”
How to Treat Postpartum Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Medication and/or treatment is key. In Tavares’ case, she was taking Zoloft at the time of diagnosis and began counseling a few months later.
“I’m doing great,” she said. “Working with a counselor, especially one who specializes in perinatal mental health, is a wonderful therapeutic experience. It’s a safe space to share what you’re going through and get validation.
Decker stresses that overall, don’t hesitate to ask for the help you need and deserve.
“There’s no need to be ashamed. If you develop symptoms in the first few days of life, we can treat you, and early treatment can make a huge difference. Open up and share how you’re feeling – it’s about looking after yourself and your baby important way.
