Peripartum mood disturbances differential diagnosis

Template:Atherosclerosis Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Sunita Kumawat, M.B.B.S[2]

Overview

[Disease name] must be differentiated from other diseases that cause [clinical feature 1], [clinical feature 2], and [clinical feature 3], such as [differential dx1], [differential dx2], and [differential dx3].

OR

[Disease name] must be differentiated from [[differential dx1], [differential dx2], and [differential dx3].

Differentiating Postpartum depression from other Diseases

• Postpartum anxiety: The onset is anywhere between child birth to one year. Presents with feelings of dread, worry, lack of concentration, sleeping and eating problems, nausea, palpitations, dizziness. The condition does not subside on its own. The patient has to seek medical advice.
• Postpartum blues: They usually occur within a few days after child birth and improve within a week or two. The new mother has low mood, frequent crying, change in appetite and sleep, feeling of inadequacy. This does not impact day to day functioning or the capacity to look after the baby.
• Hyperthyroidism or Hypothyroidism: These pathologies can cause mood diorders along with other physiologic symptoms. These can be differentiated by evaluating free T4 and TSH levels.
• Postpartum Psychosis: This presents within days or weeks post delivery. This is acute in onset and an emergency situation with the risks of suicide and harm to the baby. The mother experiences agitation, delusions, hallucinations, sleep deprivation for several nights and change in behaviour.