A postpartum woman develops insomnia, extreme lability of mood, disorganised behaviour, and command hallucinations beginning on postpartum day 7. Which statement about her condition is correct?
- A It is a self-limiting condition resolving within two weeks without treatment
- B It typically emerges between three and fourteen days postpartum and carries a high suicide and infanticide risk ✓
- C It is best managed initially with reassurance alone as symptoms peak at six weeks
- D It almost always indicates an underlying organic brain lesion requiring neuroimaging
Correct answer: B. It typically emerges between three and fourteen days postpartum and carries a high suicide and infanticide risk
Explanation
Postpartum psychosis is a psychiatric emergency with onset characteristically in the first two weeks, peaking around days 3 to 14, and it demands admission and treatment because of substantial risk of suicide and infanticide. Option A describes postpartum blues, which is mild, peaks on day 3 to 5, and resolves spontaneously. Neuroimaging is not routinely required once delirious causes are excluded.
Reference: DC Dutta's Textbook of Obstetrics, 10th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
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