Postpartum hospitalization of psychotic parents with their infant: a case study

Parents with mental illness are at risk for exacerbations during the postpartum period. The management of family members needing concurrent psychiatric hospitalization is unclear. This article describes the advantages and difficulties of a family hospitalization, focusing on the splitting processes in the staff and the use of "couple ego functions'.

A couple, simultaneously psychotic after the sequential births of two children, were hospitalized separately after the birth of the first child, and simultaneously in the same room after the birth of the second child.

The hospitalization of the couple with their infant led to a shorter, less stressful hospitalization, and strengthened the functioning of the family unit.

Simultaneous hospitalization of family members is feasible and may lead to better clinical results.