New AI model to detect childbirth-related PTSD risk

A novel artificial intelligence (AI) model may now help identify signs of childbirth-related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CB-PTSD) in women, according to a study conducted by researchers from Israel and the US.

Globally, CB-PTSD affects about eight million people who give birth each year. Current methods for diagnosing CB-PTSD require a physician evaluation, which is time-consuming and costly.

If left untreated, the condition may interfere with breastfeeding, bonding with the infant, and the desire for a future pregnancy.

CB-PTSD may also worsen maternal depression, leading to a surge in suicidal thoughts and behaviours in women.

The study, appearing in the journal Scientific Reports, showed that AI could successfully identify a large proportion of people with the disorder and a large percentage of those at risk.

The study included 1,295 postpartum participants who were subjected to a questionnaire. The participants also provided short narratives of approximately 30 words about their childbirth experience.

Researchers from the Bar-Ilan University in Israel, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School in the US trained an AI model to analyse a subset of narratives from patients who also tested high for the CB-PTSD symptoms on the questionnaire.

“Overall, the model correctly identified the narratives of participants who were likely to have CB-PTSD because they scored high on the questionnaire,” researchers said.