title: Postpartum hospitalization of psychotic parents with their infant: a case study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Parents with mental illness are at risk for exacerbations during the postpartum period. The management of family members needing concurrent psychiatric hospitalization is unclear. This article describes the advantages and difficulties of a family hospitalization, focusing on the splitting processes in the staff and the use of "couple ego functions'.
  
  
  METHODS
  A couple, simultaneously psychotic after the sequential births of two children, were hospitalized separately after the birth of the first child, and simultaneously in the same room after the birth of the second child.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The hospitalization of the couple with their infant led to a shorter, less stressful hospitalization, and strengthened the functioning of the family unit.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Simultaneous hospitalization of family members is feasible and may lead to better clinical results.
authors.affiliation: Eitanim Psychiatric Hospital, affiliated with the Hebrew University Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel. lskandel@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Sarah Kandel
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Katzenelson
authors.forename: Vladislav
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fainstein
authors.forename: Shmuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maizel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011644:Puerperal Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*