Acute suicidal self-poisonings during pregnancy

Selected clinical aspects of suicidal attempts during pregnancy were presented. Nineteen pregnant females, in the age range 17-27 (mean 22 +/- 2.58), were admitted to the Clinic of Acute Poisonings in Gdańsk and Toxicological Ward in Poznań between 2001 and 2004 because of acute suicidal intoxication. The main attention was put on reasons of self-intoxication, the timing of attempted suicide as well as the influence of intoxication on the mother and the child. For most admitted women it was their first pregnancy (12 cases, 63.2%). The week of pregnancy varied from 4 to 37 (mean 19 +/- 9.3) weeks. The most popular drugs for attempting suicide among pregnant females were benzodiazepines (7 cases, 36.8%). The most often reason of suicidal attempts was unplanned pregnancy (9 cases, 47.4%). There were two miscarriages and one premature birth observed in our cases. Acute self-poisonings during pregnancy appeared to be a relatively marginal problem in the analyzed toxicology clinics and occurred in merely 0.38% of all women hospitalized between 2001 and 2004 in both clinics. The main reason of suicidal attempts in pregnant women was unplanned pregnancy (9 cases, 47.4%). None of the studied females admitted that the main reason of suicidal attempt was an abortion induction.