Ruminative worrying during pregnancy: a case series

Most women worry to some extent during pregnancy about exposure to agents that might harm their babies.

We describe three women who worried excessively throughout pregnancy about harming their babies because of exposure to agents including, but not limited to, psychotropic drugs. These women were extremely resistant to reassurances that their babies would not be adversely affected, and it is likely there are more women in the community who fit this profile. We have described a number of management strategies that we found effective in caring for these women during pregnancy.

A collaborative effort between caregivers in psychiatry and obstetrics, as well as other health professionals, is required to provide management for these women during pregnancy.