Neuropsychiatric aid in children born to patients with rheumatic diseases.

ABSTRACT

A chronic disease may have an adverse impact on patients' quality of life and on their relationship styles. If this occurs in a mother, the related emotional and physical distress can interfere with baby holding, impacting on the antenatal maternal-foetal attachment and on the upbringing and development of the baby. Ineffective holding leads to the persistence of a condition of 'vulnerability to stress' and the possible development of psychosomatic problems in the offspring. In this paper we present our experience and a review from the current literature on the psychological aspects of pregnancy and parenthood in women with rheumatic diseases (RD) and children's development. To ameliorate family global quality of life, different experts (the rheumatologist, the obstetric, the neonatologist, the psychologist and the neuropsychiatric experts) should cooperate in teamwork to keep the patients' needs integrated. In particular, the neuropsychiatric intervention might support the patients and their partners throughout the experience of pregnancy and parenthood and prevent the occurrence of psychopathologic traits.