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Psychotropics in pregnancy: safety and other considerations

Femi Oyebode1, Abhinav Rastogi, Giles Berrisford

  • 1National Centre for Mental Health, 25 Vincent Drive, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2FG, United Kingdom. Femi_Oyebode@msn.com

Pharmacology & Therapeutics
|April 10, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Psychotropic drug use during pregnancy poses risks, including spontaneous abortions and preterm birth. Careful management is crucial for maternal mental health and fetal well-being.

Area of Science:

  • Perinatal Psychiatry
  • Pharmacology
  • Obstetrics

Background:

  • Perinatal psychiatric disorders significantly impact pregnancy outcomes.
  • Effective management of antenatal psychiatric conditions is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review psychotropic drug use in managing antenatal psychiatric disorders.
  • To emphasize the associated risks of harmful effects on pregnancy and neonates.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of electronic literature (January 2000 - August 2011).
  • Keywords included pregnancy, complications, and specific psychotropic drug classes (antidepressants, antipsychotics, lithium).
  • Anticonvulsants were excluded; hand searches were conducted.

Main Results:

  • Antidepressants linked to increased spontaneous abortions, stillbirths, preterm delivery, respiratory distress, and cardiac defects.
  • Antipsychotics associated with increased gestational weight, diabetes, and preterm birth; malformation data inconclusive.
  • Lithium linked to polyhydramnios, pre-eclampsia, respiratory distress, hypotonia, preterm birth, and cardiac septal defects.

Conclusions:

  • Psychotropic drugs are vital for managing psychiatric diseases during pregnancy.
  • Clinicians must be aware of potential adverse effects associated with these treatments.
  • Balancing maternal mental health needs with fetal safety is paramount.
Abstract

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