Question

Identify the benefits of prescribing psychiatric medication in pregnancy. Address the potential risks of birth defects in untreated mental illness. List and discuss at least two medications considered safe to take while pregnant. Include references to at least three relevant research articles.

Answer 1

There is many adverse effects documented in untreated maternal mental illnesses. So the use of psychiatric medication during pregnancy in those people are necessary. In the reproductive age the psychiatric disorders are common in women. There has been a trend of avoiding the prescription of psychiatric medications. Rational decision has to taken inorder to avoid the future difficulties to both mother and baby health. Evidence suggests that the many of the psychiatric medications are safer in pregnancy. Individualising the treatment decision to specific patient is the best option to consider.

Untreated schizophrenia and affective disordered pregnant women under study has shown that they are presenting risk on pregnancy, birth and neonatal complications like placental abnormalities, antepartum haemorrhage and foetal distresses. Also placental abruption, low weight born babies and children with cardiovascular abnormalities is found. Untreated depression in mother also shows the some of above mentioned difficulties in both.

The tricyclic antidepressants and fluoxetine are found to be non teratogenic and found to be under safe profiles. Citalopram, escitalopram and fluoxetine come under selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are found to come in FDA pregnancy category C.

reference: NCBI, www.greenjournal.org, mhc, aafp.org