Guidelines for treatment of psychosis during pregnancy

Treatment of the acutely psychotic pregnant woman presents therapeutic problems for the psychiatrist and the inpatient unit. Controlled studies of the comparative efficacy of therapeutic modalities during pregnancy are lacking, and the literature on the morphological and behavioral teratogenicity of somatic treatments does not lead to definitive conclusions about their safety in pregnancy. The authors review studies in those areas, focusing on the use of psychotropic drugs. Guidelines for treating psychotic pregnant patients in the last six months of pregnancy and the immediate postpartum period are outlined.