Maternal mental health is of vital importance. Many mothers, caring for infants and small children, suffer depression or other psychiatric disorders. It is essential that they are understood because a great deal can be done to help them. This book sets out to display the variety of disorders which occur during pregnancy and the puerperium, which make childbearing the most complex psychological event in human experience. it provides a summary of our knowledge, set in an historical context, as a foundation for research. There are chapters on infertility, mental health during pregnancy, postpartum disorders, infant loss, the mother-infant relationship, child abuse, infanticide, the effects on the family, and services for mentally-ill mothers. There are 300 case descriptions and personal accounts. THe book is written for all those in the medical, nursing and social professions, and voluntary agencies, who seek to help mothers in difficulty.