Pathological fear of cot death.
Cot death (sudden infant death syndrome) is one of the most common causes of death in the first year of life. Four cases with a pathological fear of cot death are presented. All the patients were depressed and in 2 cases the fear of cot death had an obsessional quality. In all cases there were complications during pregnancy (miscarriage, threatened abortion, recurrent vomiting in last trimester). In 1 case, the patient knew 3 mothers who had suffered cot deaths; in another, the infant was gravely ill in the neonatal period. Pathological fear of cot death can be recognised by the presence of two central features - overvigilance and excessive nocturnal checking of the baby's breathing. Therapeutic interventions are discussed.
Weightman
H
H
University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
Dalal
B M
BM
Brockington
I F
IF
D000328:Adult; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000150:complications; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D011247:Pregnancy; D013398:Sudden Infant Death