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March 16, 2009
Data indicate risk of psychiatric readmission may increase shortly after childbirth
MedWire (3/5, Cowen) reports that a study appearing in the Archives of General Psychiatry found that "new mothers with psychiatric disorders, particularly those with bipolar affective disorder, face an increased risk for psychiatric readmission in the first month after childbirth," but "overall, new mothers with mental health disorders were less likely to be readmitted to psychiatric hospital than women with mental health disorders who were not mothers."
For the study, "the team used the Danish Civil Registration System and the Danish Psychiatric Central Register to assess data on readmission rates among 28,124 women with mental health disorders between 1973 and 2005. Of these women, 10,218 became mothers during the period studied."
Between 10 and 19 days postpartum, the researchers found that new mothers "were 2.71 times more likely to be readmitted...than women who were not mothers." Among those, the "risk was highest among new mothers with a diagnosis of bipolar affective disorder, who were 37.22 times more likely to be readmitted" during that period.
Related Links:
- "Risk of psychiatric readmission highest first month after childbirth," Mark Cowen, Medwire News, March 5, 2009.
Posted by admin at March 16, 2009 07:00 PM