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UP woman puts newborn in fridge; family ‘evil forces’ suspicion turns out to be postpartum psychosis
The baby was rushed to a hospital immediately, where his condition was confirmed to be stable, said the family members.
In a bizarre incident, a 23-year-old woman suffering from postpartum psychosis put her 15-day-old baby inside a refrigerator in the Kurla area of Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad and went to sleep.
The incident happened last Friday. The baby boy was later rescued by his grandmother who heard his cries and rushed to the kitchen to save him, reported news agency PTI.
The baby was rushed to a hospital immediately, where his condition was confirmed to be stable, said the family members.
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The identity of the woman has not been revealed.
‘Evil forces’
The woman, who had recently given birth to a baby boy, was not keeping well after the delivery. After she put her infant in the fridge, her family initially believed that she was under the influence of “evil forces” and attempted some rituals to improve her condition. However, all in vain.
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She was later taken to a psychiatry and de-addiction centre, where she was diagnosed with postpartum psychosis by Dr Kartikeya Gupta, a psychiatrist.
The woman is now receiving counselling and treatment, the PTI cited a doctor as saying.
What is postpartum psychosis?
Postpartum psychosis is a serious mental health illness that can affect someone soon after having a baby, according to the United Kingdom’s National Health Service.
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Many people who have given birth will experience mild mood changes after having a baby, known as the "baby blues". This is normal and usually only lasts for a few days.
However, postpartum psychosis is not to be confused with "baby blues", it is a very different condition. It's a serious mental illness and should be treated as a medical emergency. It's sometimes called puerperal psychosis or postnatal psychosis. It can get worse rapidly and the illness can risk the safety of the mother and baby.
Postpartum psychosis and depression can occur when women are neglected after childbirth and do not receive adequate emotional support, PTI quoted psychiatrist Dr Meghna Gupta as saying.
With inputs from PTI
