Current advances in theory and practice relating to postpartum syndromes.

The present paper provides a brief review of the medical and psychiatric literature concerning the incidence, symptomatology, and etiology of the postpartum psychoses and less severe emotional disturbances. A highlight of recent sleep EEG research achievements, a summary of original work performed in our laboratory concerning sleep EEG characteristics of normal females during late and early pregnancy, and a discussion of the possible relevance of these sleep studies to postpartum emotional disturbance is also provided.