New Moms Show Signs of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Study

A new mother who has recently given birth has a higher rate of obsessive compulsive disorder than the general population, according to Northwestern University in Illinois.

According to the researchers, a new mom constantly keeps a check on her baby to see if the kid is still breathing, or whether the bottles are properly sterilized.

The study was conducted on women who were recruited during their delivery at Northwestern Memorial. The participants underwent screening tests for anxiety, depression and OCD after they went home. One was conducted after two weeks and the second test was conducted after six months. The first survey of two weeks was completed by 461 women, and 329 women completed the survey after six months.

After six months, an improvement in the symptoms was reported by nearly 50 percent of the women.

The researchers noticed that 11 percent of the women at two weeks and six months postpartum undergo a significant OCD symptom, when compared to the general population.

"It may be that certain kinds of obsessions and compulsions are adaptive and appropriate for a new parent, for example those about cleanliness and hygiene," study senior author Dana Gossett, M.D., chief and assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a physician at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, said in a press statement.

According to the researchers, the symptoms are temporary, but if they interfere with the normal functioning of the mother, it could be a psychological disorder.

Nearly 70 percent of the women were screened positive for both OCD and depression.  According to the researchers, the overlap and the unique division of obsessions and compulsions could point to postpartum OCD.

The study was published in the journal of Reproductive Medicine.