May 6, 2024 – Megan Tavares was at the grocery store when she received a call from her doctor who told her to go to the hospital immediately. Tavares was 39 weeks pregnant when her blood tests revealed she was suffering from a rare condition related to pre-eclampsia. Her baby needed to be delivered immediately.
Nine hours later, Tavares, a social worker from Somerset, Massachusetts, gave birth to a healthy baby boy. But the ordeal was traumatic for the new mother, who began experiencing depression, obsessive-compulsive behavior and other symptoms she recognized as far from normal in the weeks following her birth.
“It felt like a ticking time bomb,” she said.
Tavares' struggle lasted six months. Her doctor finally made the following diagnosis: Postpartum Post Traumatic Stress Disordersimilarly postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety.
Postpartum PTSD According to the National Institutes of Health, it affects approximately 8 million women worldwide each year. numbers.
Within a month after giving birth, there are signs that something can be seriously traumatic for the new mom and her baby. This is often the result of an unplanned caesarean section, transfer of the baby to the neonatal intensive care unit, or a forceps or vacuum delivery. Other medical complications or lack of support from medical professionals during childbirth. Although it is important for new mothers with symptoms of postpartum PSTD to seek 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 low-cost artificial intelligence that could theoretically be used by any gynecologist to improve diagnosis.
In the study, approximately 1,300 women were asked to write 30 words about their birth experience, focusing on the most traumatic part, explained the study's lead author. Dr. Sharon DekelAssistant Professor and Director of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School Massachusetts General Hospital Postpartum Traumatic Stress Disorder Research Program.
“An AI model built to understand human language analyzed the words the women used and their conversation patterns, identifying mental illnesses based on the nuances of their words and the context of their sentences. , the model will tell you if that data represents PTSD,” she said.
The OpenAI model recorded specificity/accuracy rates of 75% to 85% in diagnosing women with postpartum PTSD within this population. The researchers believe this technology can be easily integrated into routine obstetric and gynecological care and hope that rapid intervention could help women at risk.
According to Dekel, speed of diagnosis is critical. „If a woman develops mental illness after a traumatic birth experience, it can compromise the health of both mother and infant,“ she said.
Learn more about postpartum PTSD
Generally, PTSD can occur after a frightening event. When dealing with the shock of such an event, people often have flashbacks and nightmares, become very anxious, and can't stop thinking about what happened.
and recent research Researchers at Russia's Lomonosov Moscow State University found that postpartum PTSD can be first caused by frightening circumstances during childbirth, or it can be caused by the reactivation of past trauma during a stressful birth. It showed that there is. For example, researchers found that women who experienced sexual assault or childhood sexual abuse were more likely to develop postpartum PTSD. Additionally, „racism during care may also increase women's risk. Latina and Black women are three times more likely to have a trauma response during childbirth,“ Dekel said.
This condition can be caused by severe medical complications or inadequate response by hospital staff, as well as when a woman is not in control of her birth experience.
„Women may feel like a failure for not being able to give birth vaginally,“ Dekel says. „In some cases, postpartum PTSD can interfere with future pregnancies. It leads to avoidance, and women say, 'I'm never going to do this again.'“
Symptoms of postpartum PTSD
Feeling abnormal tension is one important characteristic. „Postpartum, you should generally be on the lookout for higher-than-expected levels of stress, including re-experiencing or avoiding events that cause negative changes in mood and thinking.“ Sarah Horvath, MD, MSHP; Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Penn State Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
You can also:
- have a sleep disorder
- Always feel “alert”
- have a panic attack
- I feel more and more depressed
Can postpartum PTSD be prevented?
In some cases, yes.
“Being prepared for potential PTSD is extremely helpful,” Horvath says. „Take time to think through your ideal birth experience, but also think about birth experiences that might not be ideal.“ This allows you to embrace uncertainty. , you will be better able to deal with unexpected situations.
Your obstetrician-gynecologist can also help.
„Patients should talk with their obstetrician in advance to set realistic expectations and express any potential fears or need for additional support,“ Dr. Horvath said. “Also, if the patient has a trusted GP, psychiatrist, or psychologist, work with them ahead of time to think about support and resilience.”
How to treat postpartum PTSD
Medication and treatment are the key. Tavares was prescribed Zoloft at the time of her diagnosis and began counseling several months later.
„I'm fine,“ she said. „Working with a counselor, especially one who specializes in perinatal mental health, is a wonderfully healing experience. It's a safe place to share what you're going through and feel validated.“
Overall, Dekel stressed, don't be afraid to ask for the help you need and deserve.
„There's no need to be embarrassed. Symptoms are treatable if they appear within the first few days of life, and early treatment makes a big difference. Open up and share your feelings. It's up to you. It’s an important way to take care of yourself and your baby.”