Citation

Dias MC, Jones I. Medicine (Abingdon) 2016; 44(12): 720-723.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Medicine Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.mpmed.2016.09.006

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Perinatal psychiatric disorders are common and can result in significant suffering for women and their families; indeed, suicide is a leading cause of maternal death. The most severe form of postpartum mood disorder - postpartum psychosis - follows approximately 1 in 1000 deliveries. Women with a history of bipolar disorder or who have suffered a previous severe postpartum episode are at a many hundred-fold increased risk, and their identification in the antenatal period is a key aspect of management. Decisions regarding the use of psychotropic medication in pregnancy must be made following a full risk-benefit analysis. Risks of taking many medications remain unknown but include teratogenic effects, withdrawal or toxic symptoms in the newborn and long-term developmental effects. However, these must be balanced against the risks of untreated mental illness and the risk of recurrence from stopping or switching well-established and efficacious medications. More data are clearly needed to inform the difficult choices regarding medication that women with severe mental illness are forced to make in regard to pregnancy. © 2016

Language: en

Keywords

human; Review; prognosis; risk assessment; postpartum; mental disease; clinical feature; high risk population; priority journal; practice guideline; puerperal depression; puerperal psychosis; maternal disease; disease management; postnatal depression; Perinatal; postpartum psychosis; puerperal