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Recently, there was news about doctors performing an emergency C-Section on a woman in Brazil after she complained of exceeding her due date and some abdominal pain. Though the doctors could not detect the baby's heartbeat, they assumed that there was something wrong and operated on her only to find no baby. This was a case of false or phantom pregnancy known as pseudocyesis in medical terms.Dr Beena Jeysingh, a consultant gynaecologist at Apollo Cradle, answers our queries on this phenomenon.
What is phantom pregnancy?
Phantom pregnancy, otherwise known as pseudocyesis, is a condition wherein the patient is convinced that she is pregnant. They also show signs and symptoms associated with pregnancy.
Who are likely to have this condition?
Statistically, 1-6 of 22,000 live births are phantom pregnancies. This condition can occur among people of any age group. Almost 1/3 of these cases have experienced real births previously. This condition has both psychological and physical factors. It usually occurs among patients who are anxious about getting pregnant or those who fear pregnancy. (Read: Can't conceive? PCOS could be the reason)
How can one prevent this?
With the modern diagnostic tools available today, the symptoms can be investigated to confirm whether the pregnancy is real or fake. Unlike the reported case, there is no need to perform a C-Section to check if there is any baby or not. It can be found out much earlier with other methods.
How can doctors address this problem since they show all the symptoms of pregnancy?
Once the doctor is aware that the pregnancy is fake, the doctor should counsel the patient about the condition. This condition can happen due to hormonal changes, psychological and physical factors. The patient could also be sent for further counselling to a psychologist.
How can a woman overcome this condition?
It is for the patient to understand that it is all in the mind. This usually occurs among patients who are anxious about getting pregnant or those who fear pregnancy. Proper medical treatment followed by psychiatric counselling can help cure and overcome this problem. (Read: Pregnancy after 30 dangerous for mother and baby)
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