Pregnancy may Compound Symptoms of OCD

A new study carried out by a group of American scientists suggests that pregnancy could increase the severity of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms.

Researchers from Yale University School of Medicine in Connecticut analyzed the medical records of more than 120 women suffering from OCD and found that of the 78 women who had been pregnant, more than 34 percent (24 patients) admitted that the first symptoms of OCD developed soon after they became pregnant.

On further analyzing the data, the researchers found that in more than 30 percent of the cases, the symptoms of OCD increased during pregnancy while around 22 percent said that their symptoms had improved.

Speaking to Reuters, lead researcher Dr. Ariadna Forray said, �"These women may have a differential sensitivity to reproductive hormones, and, as such, normal reproductive events are triggers for the onset or exacerbation of OCD.�


Source: Medindia