For some women having a baby is like a being in a terror attack. A new research by Tel Aviv University revealed that one in three women who have just given birth may experience signs of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is a condition which is usually associated with war and terrorist attacks.
Post-traumatic stress disorder is appeared as the result of experiencing, witnessing or confronting an event or events which occupy actual or threatened death or serious injury, or a threat to the physical integrity of one or others. It was frequently linked with earlier traumatic delivery.
The symptoms of PTSD may include flashbacks to labour, avoiding any event or having any physical response such as heart palpitations when it is talked about and disinclination to think of having another child. In a bit to analyse whether childbirth causes PTSD, researchers interviewed ninety women after delivery, among those eighty percent had given birth without any pain relief.
Of all, surveyed about three-and-half percent of women suffered full-blown PTSD, nearly eight percent showed near to complete cases and twenty-six percent exhibited significant symptoms for about one month. Researchers found that main cause for women was not only the pain, but also the terror of serious or lethal complications for themselves or their baby.
Therefore, researchers believe PTSD is irrefutable, because it can trigger intense fear, helplessness or horror. Lead researcher Prof Rael Strous, explained the discomfort of being undressed for a long period during labour had an unexpectedly strong effect, mentioned by four out of five women affected. These high percentages signify a population at risk and significance of early detection, diagnosis and management if necessary.
The study was published in the Israel Medical Association Journal.