Question:medium
All the following are true regarding pseudocyesis, EXCEPT:
All the following are true regarding pseudocyesis, EXCEPT:
Show Hint
The phantom labour pains usually stop once she is convinced she is not pregnant.
Updated On: Jun 24, 2026
- The patients usually have an intense desire to have children
- Change in the breast may be present
- There may be considerable increase in the size of the abdomen
- The labour pain invariably continues to persist even if she is told that she is not pregnant
Show Solution
The Correct Option is D
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Phantom pregnancy is a psychosomatic state where a woman who is not pregnant nonetheless manifests pregnancy features, usually driven by a strong wish for a child or by hormonal and psychological factors, classically around menopause.
Step 2: Genuine-appearing features support several options: the breasts may change, and the belly may visibly enlarge, though here the swelling comes from fat accumulation rather than a fetus. The intense longing for children is also a recognised trigger.
Step 3: Crucially, because the whole picture is psychological, firmly informing the woman that she is not pregnant typically causes the false labour pains to cease abruptly. The statement that such pains continue regardless is incorrect, making it the exception sought.
Step 4: The false option is the one to mark.
\[\boxed{\text{Labour pain invariably continues even after she is told she is not pregnant}}\]
Step 2: Genuine-appearing features support several options: the breasts may change, and the belly may visibly enlarge, though here the swelling comes from fat accumulation rather than a fetus. The intense longing for children is also a recognised trigger.
Step 3: Crucially, because the whole picture is psychological, firmly informing the woman that she is not pregnant typically causes the false labour pains to cease abruptly. The statement that such pains continue regardless is incorrect, making it the exception sought.
Step 4: The false option is the one to mark.
\[\boxed{\text{Labour pain invariably continues even after she is told she is not pregnant}}\]
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