ABSTRACT
Postpartum psychosis has a special place within perinatal psychiatric pathologies and is characterized by a rich and noisy symptomatology, with possible dramatic consequences for mother and child. Its incidence is estimated at 1–2/1,000 births. Despite a non-specific nosographic framework, current data show a strong link between postpartum psychosis and bipolar disorder. For women with postpartum psychosis, 60% of them will turn into a mood disorder and 30% will stay as a single episode, but in the case of a new pregnancy, relapse risk increased up to 30% whatever the existence of a bipolar disorder in the patient. For pregnant women with preexisting bipolar disorder, there is a major increased risk (about 30%) of a relapse during postnatal period. Prophylactic treatment during pregnancy or just after delivery has to be considered for women with bipolar disorder or with previous post-partum psychosis. Joint mother-baby care is well adapted for women with postpartum psychosis or bipolar disorder, at specialized units with a trained staff, such as mother-baby units. Moreover, giving the risk of relapses in bipolar disorders, long-term considerations of mother mental health, as well as infant development, are primordial in care planning.
