Denial of pregnancy (also called pregnancy denial) is a form of

denial Denial, in ordinary English usage, has at least three meanings: asserting that any particular statement or allegation is not true (which might be accurate or inaccurate); the refusal of a request; and asserting that a true statement is not true. ...

exhibited by women to either the fact or the implications of their own

pregnancy Pregnancy is the time during which one or more offspring develops ( gestates) inside a woman's uterus (womb). A multiple pregnancy involves more than one offspring, such as with twins. Pregnancy usually occurs by sexual intercourse, but ca ...

. One study found that women who denied their pregnancy represented 0.26% of all deliveries. A later study cited an incidence at 20 weeks gestation of approximately 1 in 475, and said that the proportion of cases persisting until delivery is about 1 in 2500 pregnancies.

Psychotic denial

This is a form of denial that is so extreme as to fall under the category of

delusion A delusion is a false fixed belief that is not amenable to change in light of conflicting evidence. As a pathology, it is distinct from a belief based on false or incomplete information, confabulation, dogma, illusion, hallucination, or some o ...

. Physical symptoms of pregnancy can be absent or not perceived by the woman. When they occur, they are misinterpreted. Some women interpret the sensation of something growing inside them as cancer, or a blood clot. Some women might believe fetal movements are their organs coming loose inside their body.

Psychotic denial

See also

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