Women who have lost a baby due to a miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy are at risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Experts from the Imperial College London conducted a study that determined such a result. They highlighted the importance of psychological support as one of the best course of treatments after miscarriage.
The study, which has been published in the journal BMJ Open, involved 113 women respondents who have had miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy. They were asked to answer questionnaires, which expounded on their feelings about the loss of a baby.
Most of the women identified pain and bleeding while having a miscarriage, while a fifth of the respondents had ectopic pregnancy. Of these, 45 percent of the women who miscarried and 18 percent of the women who had ectopic pregnancy presented PTSD symptoms. These include flashbacks, nightmares, having unwanted thoughts or anxiety, which ranged from moderate to severe, BBC reports. Further, 40 percent of the women respondents expressed that their struggles eventually affected relationships or work performance.
The experts note that for women who suffered miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy, a routine follow-up with a doctor is non-existent and there lies the big problem. "We have checks in place for postnatal depression, but we don't have anything in place for the trauma and depression following pregnancy loss," lead study author Dr. Jessica Farren said, per Express.
Huffington Post notes that women who've lost a baby through miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy usually seek answers, yet find that they can't always talk about their ordeal. Thus, psychological support or therapies can be a big help in the healing process, which is also used in other PTSD cases.
"However we need to investigate how this treatment should be tailored to women who have suffered an early pregnancy loss," the experts advised further. The team is also looking into the risk factors of women who have PTSD after a miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy as some women don't actually experience this.
