Emotional impact of severe post-partum haemorrhage on women and their partners: an observational, case-matched, prospective, single-centre pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: This observational, matched-control, prospective, single-centre study sought to estimate the emotional impact of post-partum haemorrhage (PPH) on women and their partners, including its influences on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), postpartum depression and the mother/child relationship.

STUDY DESIGN: All consecutive women who were admitted for PPH from December 2010 through December 2011 and their partners were screened for eligibility. Emotional impact was assessed using three self-reported questionnaires (Impact of Event Scale-Revised to assess PTSD, Edinburgh Post Natal Depression Scale to assess post-natal depression and Mother-Infant Bonding Scale to assess the relationship between mother and child). Each PPH patient was matched with a control woman for whom the delivery was not complicated by PPH.

RESULTS: The results showed (a) that women with PPH and their partners were more likely to report symptoms related to PTSD compared with controls, (b) that women with PPH were less likely to suffer from postnatal depression and (c) that there was no difference in the mother/child relationship between women with PPH and controls.

CONCLUSION: PPH is associated with a high incidence of PTSD-related symptoms in both women and their partners. PTSD in the context of PPH is likely an under-recognised phenomenon by health care professionals.