Case 9: Comments 1
7 Months after Birth:
Requesting treatment with antidepressant medication.
Had last been taking these medications about three years ago, and has not needed them at all since.
It is interesting from the Paill Spectrum perspective, that this woman has been so well for so long and that she has deteriorated relatively soon after the birth of her child. There are a number of interesting things happening in pregnancy and breast-feeding which considerably affect the progression of Paill Spectrum. Firstly, some patients develop protein-losing nephropathy in pregnancy. This results in reduction in body antibody levels (In “some” patients only). Next, the pregnancy strips the body of its reserves of minerals, unsaturated fatty acids, and vitamins. The support for the growth of the fetus means that the mother’s reserves are pilfered to ensure the growth of the baby. Lastly, there are substantial nutritional consequences to pregnancy and breast-feeding. Not all mothers are careful in what they eat and how they look after their nutrition.
The long term consequences are that Paill related medical conditions such as the mood disorders are much more likely to flare up after the birth of the baby. In this case, the woman is developing a Paill Spectrum depression.