Relapses of bipolar/cycloid psychosis related to childbearing

Ian Brockington1

  • 1University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK. i.f.brockington@bham.ac.uk.

It was observed nearly 200 years ago that mothers with puerperal psychosis may recover, then relapse, sometimes repeatedly. This phenomenon seems to be better recognized in the American and French literature, where it has been reported in a large minority, or even majority, of cases. It offers an opportunity to study the pathogenesis of psychosis.

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