antipsychotic medications - MGH Center for Women's Mental Health

What’s Worse for Pregnancy: Bipolar Disorder or the Medications Used to Treat It?

In studies of pregnant women with unipolar depression, it has been shown that untreated psychiatric illness in the mother may have a negative impact on pregnancy outcomes, influencing the length of gestation and birthweight. There is far less data on pregnancy outcomes in women with bipolar disorder. A recent Swedish study analyzes pregnancy outcomes in treated and untreated women with bipolar disorder and attempts to distinguish between the effects of medication versus the effects of untreated psychiatric illness in the mother.

By Ruta Nonacs, MD PhD|2024-03-24T11:55:47-04:00February 5th, 2013|Psychiatric Disorders During Pregnancy|0 Comments

Use of Antipsychotic Medications in Pregnancy Increases Risk of Gestational Diabetes

Atypical antipsychotic medications are commonly used for the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Despite the increasing use of these medications in women of child-bearing age, there is still relatively little data regarding the reproductive safety of these medications.

By Ruta Nonacs, MD PhD|2024-04-14T16:18:01-04:00July 17th, 2012|Psychiatric Disorders During Pregnancy|0 Comments

Prenatal Antipsychotic Exposure and Neuromotor Performance

While a handful of studies have assessed the risk for congenital malformations in infants exposed to antipsychotic agents, there is even less information regarding neonatal outcome in this population. In 1992, it was first reported that infants exposed to first-generation antipsychotic medications exhibited increased muscle tone, tremulousness, and poor motor functioning when assessed within a few days of delivery.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-08-12T16:42:15-04:00April 25th, 2012|Psychiatric Disorders During Pregnancy|2 Comments

New FDA Warning on the Use of Antipsychotic Medications in Pregnancy

On February 22, 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) informed healthcare professionals that drug labels for the entire class of antipsychotic drugs have been updated to include warnings regarding the use of antipsychotic drugs during pregnancy. The new drug labels now contain more details on the potential risk for abnormal muscle movements (extrapyramidal signs or EPS) and withdrawal symptoms in newborns exposed to these drugs during the third trimester of pregnancy.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-07-28T14:26:32-04:00March 9th, 2011|Psychiatric Disorders During Pregnancy|1 Comment