First Time Mothers may be at a Greater Risk for Symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

A new study shows a mother's necessity to buy name-brand baby shampoo and clothes for junior might not just be a phase.

New mothers may be more prone to suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms according to research carried out by Northwestern Medicine and published in the Journal of Reproductive Medicine.

Researchers have identified symptoms of OCD in 11 percent of women during their second week and sixth month following childbirth, compared to only 2 percent in the rest of the general population.

This is one of the first study's to identify obsessive-compulsive symptoms in mothers after giving birth. Symptoms, while only temporary, include such fears as injuring the baby or being exposed t germs.

However, researchers note that if the symptoms interfere with their everyday functioning, then it could indicate a psychological disorder. 

Dana Gossett, MD, senior author of the study and chief and assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, said the following:

"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. But when it interferes with normal day-to-day functioning and appropriate care for the baby and parent, it becomes maladaptive and pathologic." 

The researchers' own upsetting thoughts following birth led them to set out to determine whether the feelings were common among all women.

Emily Miller, MD, and lead author of the study, said: "A compulsion is a response to those obsessive thoughts, a ritualistic behavior that temporary allays the anxiety but can't rationally prevent the obsession from occurring." 

As OCD can be caused by stress, which may explain why situations such as pregnancy can predispose women to the disorder.