Recognising Red Flags: Safeguarding Maternal Mental Health in MBUs
An online event, led by the East Midlands Alliance Perinatal Collaborative, brought together colleagues from across the region to discuss common mental health warning signs in women admitted to Mother and Baby Units.
A 2024 MBRACE UK Report looked at 275 women who died during pregnancy or the year after giving birth in the UK and Ireland between 2020 and 2022. The report highlights common cause of death in women who died between six weeks and a year after giving birth were mental health related, including suicide and drug and alcohol use.
During the session, collaborative clinical lead Dr Rahul Gandhi presented the perinatal 'red flags' that have been identified to signify serious concerns requiring immediate specialist review during and after pregnancy. These include:
- The emergence of new symptoms or significant changes in mental state
- Thought or acts of violent self-harm
- New and persistent expression of incompetence as a mother or estrangement from the infant.
- Evidence of psychosis
- Rapidly changing mental state
- Pervasive guilt or hopelessness
- Significant estrangement from the infant
Amber flags indicating elevated risk factors that warrant careful monitoring and assessment, were also shared during the online event. These can include:
- Pre-existing history of psychosis, bipolar or postpartum psychosis
- Significant family history of postpartum psychosis
- Persistent and severe insomnia
If any of these risks are identified it is imperative that red flags are immediately reviewed by a specialist and yellow flags are carefully monitored, which could save lives.