The Effects of Antipsychotic Medication in Pregnancy and Outcomes for Mothers and their Babies. A Review
- July 28, 2019
- Posted by: RSIS
- Category: Sociology
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume III, Issue VII, July 2019 | ISSN 2454–6186
Sabo Saleh Dagona (PhD)
Department of Sociology, Yobe State University, PMB 1144, Damaturu, Yobe State, Nigeria
Abstract:
Objectives: To review studies examining whether the use of antipsychotics during pregnancy would have effects on the outcomes of the pregnancy for the mothers and their babies.
Method: Results of four journal articles published between 2008 and 2018 that satisfied the inclusion and exclusion criteria, retrieved from Medline and PubMed databases were summarised and analysed.
Results: Mentally ill pregnant women on antipsychotic medications and their babies are at higher risk of obstetric and gynaecological outcomes such as gestational diabetes, hypertension, premature delivery, babies small for gestational age and low birth weight. Other problems include congenital anomalies like arterial defects, cleft lip/palate and hydrocephalus and abnormal renal collecting tubule.
Conclusion: Further research is needed to gain knowledge of the relative risk of antipsychotics on pregnant mother and their babies so that clinicians would provide mentally ill pregnant patients with adequate information on the effects of these drugs on their body systems and their developing babies. Adequate knowledge of the effects of antipsychotics will limit clinicians to administer such medications only to those patients more at risk of relapse if not administered such drugs than the current practice of administering them to those with mild or moderate mental illness.
I. INTRODUCTION
Naturally pregnancy brings changes in actions and mood which in the end affect the general functioning of the pregnant woman. The condition is worse for women with history of mental illness because of the combined effects of bodily changes as a result of the pregnancy and issues resulting from the mental illness. To decrease the various effects pregnancy has in addition to those brought by the psychiatric illness, antipsychotic medications are prescribed to treat the mental illness.
