Pregnancy and bipolar disorder: international prescribing consensus?

Pregnant woman with drugs

Dean Connolly looks at an international study which asks: Is there consensus across evidence-based guidelines for the psychotropic drug management of bipolar disorder during the perinatal period?

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Psychotropic medication in pregnancy: new evidence may help achieve a safe balance

pregnant with ipad

Joanne Wallace considers a recent health technology assessment on the risks and benefits of psychotropic medication in pregnancy, which supports previous associations between valproate and adverse child outcomes.

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SSRI antidepressants increase the risk of major abnormalities in pregnancy

This huge review suggests that there are several effective treatment choices for generalised anxiety disorder across classes of medication.

A large observational study from Finland has found that women who drink alcohol and take selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressives (SSRI) during the first trimester of pregnancy significantly increase their risk for foetal alcohol spectrum disorders.  The study also found an increase in risk for some major congenital malformations associated with the use of SSRIs during the first [read the full story…]