Pregnancy denial (also called cryptic pregnancy) is an unawareness of one's active pregnancy.
Causes Pregnancy denial can be related to a psychiatric condition, past trauma, a subconscious desire not to be pregnant, and/or physical symptoms being suppressed and subsequently going unnoticed.
Characteristics A woman's significant others and physicians are usually unaware of the pregnancy as well.
Management When a psychotic pregnancy denial is discovered, preterm birth via caesarean section is to be considered due to the risk of the woman engaging in self-destructive behaviors during pregnancy or vaginal delivery that harm the fetus.
See also False pregnancy
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