Pregnancy denial

Pregnancy denial (also called cryptic pregnancy) is an unawareness of one's active pregnancy.

Causes

Pregnancy denial can be related to a psychiatric condition, past trauma, a subconscious desire not to be pregnant, and/or physical symptoms being suppressed and subsequently going unnoticed.

Characteristics

A woman's significant others and physicians are usually unaware of the pregnancy as well.

Management

When a psychotic pregnancy denial is discovered, preterm birth via caesarean section is to be considered due to the risk of the woman engaging in self-destructive behaviors during pregnancy or vaginal delivery that harm the fetus.

See also

• False pregnancy

References

• Chase, Tess; Shah, Akash; Maines, Jaimie; Fusick, Adam (July 3, 2021). "Psychotic pregnancy denial: a review of the literature and its clinical considerations". Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology. 42 (3). Taylor & Francis: 253–257. doi:10.1080/0167482X.2020.1789584.
• Chechko, Natalia; Losse, Elena; Nehls, Susanne (August 19, 2023). "Pregnancy denial: toward a new understanding of the underlying mechanisms". Current Psychiatry Reports. 25. Springer Nature: 493–500. doi:10.1007/s11920-023-01448-2.
• Kettlewell, Donatella; Dujeu, Maud; Nicolis, Hélène (June 29, 2021). "What happens next? Current knowledge and clinical perspective of pregnancy denial and children's outcome". Psychiatria Danubina. 33 (2). Medicinska naklada: 140–146. doi:10.24869/psyd.2021.140.
• Miller, Laura J. (2003). "Denial of pregnancy". In Spinelli, Margaret G. (ed.). Infanticide : Psychosocial and Legal Perspectives on Mothers who Kill. American Psychiatric Publishing. ISBN 1-58562-097-1.