The dilemma of using psychiatric medication in pregnancy. A case report and a review of literature
The dilemma of using psychiatric medication in pregnancy. A case report and a review of literature

Summary/Abstract: The management of mental disorders in pregnancy represents, still, quite a controversial areain medicine. In case of women, the highest incidence of onset of a mental disorder overlaps thefertile period. Scientific literature indicates that over 50% of the women suffering from amental illness become others at least once in their lives.Putting in balance the risks of discontinuing of the psychiatric treatment in patients withsevere mental disorders and the potential teratogenic risks to which the foetus is subjected, anincreasing number of studies recommends the preservation of medication throughout thepregnancy. The risks entailed by an unmonitored pregnancy are the following: pre-eclampsia,premature birth, delayed intrauterine growth, low birth weight, death in utero or post-birth.Notwithstanding, many future mothers discontinue the psychiatric medication when findingout of the pregnancy, for fear of the teratogenic risk. Recent studies have reported that mostantipsychotics do not have a marked influence on the evolution of pregnancy. Environmentalfactors such as smoking, obesity, alcohol, poor diet have a significant negative influence, intheir turn. The pregnancy of a woman diagnosed with schizophrenia is high risk, reason forwhich close monitoring is imperious. In this analysis, I will synthesise the benefits and therisks of the psychiatric treatment administered in pregnancy and I will outline a case withinour clinic, of a young woman with schizophrenia who followed the psychiatric treatmentthroughout her entire pregnancy.

• Details
• Contents