Antidepressants During Pregnancy

Several environmental factors have also been suspected of attributing to the cause of autism such as: exposure to infectious disease, heavy metals, phthalates and phenols, pesticides, alcohol, illicit drugs, advanced maternal age, maternal bleeding during pregnancy, maternal medications used during pregnancy and maternal stress (Glasson et al., 2004). The research conducted by Glasson et al., (2004) shows that individuals who were later diagnosed with autism were more likely to have experienced obstetric difficulties during pregnancy, labor, delivery and neonatal period. Advanced maternal age was the strongest finding in that study.

Segre, A. R. (n.d.). Perinatal Depression: A Review of U.S. Legislation and Law. Retrieved from www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3725295/

There was a case-controlled study that was performed using data from the pregnancy registry in Quebec. It showed the some doctors prescribed the woman the antidepressants to help with their depression and moods. There was one woman whom had a psychiatric disorder before the study took place. The antidepressant exposure was shown according to the months of the trimesters of use and what type of antidepressant they took. The infants born small for gestational age cases showed that the infants with a birth weight less to the tenth percentile following the Canadian charts. There were also, the relative risk took into factor. They were changed and shifted due to possible confounders.

There are many expecting mothers who suffer from serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or borderline personality disorder that requires they must take antipsychotic drugs to remain stable. There are different types of antipsychotics like typical and atypical. Typical antipsychotics are classified as the first generation of antipyschotics. The atypical antipsychotics, the second generation, are reported to be safer than the typical antipsychotics because they are the newer form of antipsychotic medication. Even though they are reported to be safer, they still have severe side effects on the individual consuming it, like tardive dyskinesia, which are uncontrollable movements of the mouth (McCauley et al., 2009). Some drugs can affect the fetus by transferring to the blood-brain barrier. The blood-brain barrier is a permeable barrier that allows some chemicals to pass through. It separates the circulating blood from the brain extracellular fluid in the central nervous system. The blood-brain barrier also transports molecules to the brain that are essential to function properly, like glucose and amino acids. Since capillary endothelial cells, which line the whole circulatory system, form the blood-brain barrier the medication could be transported to the fetus. From

This paper mainly looks into a few selected studies about the diagonosis and treatment of this type of depression and the negative repercusions that it has for women and infants. Pearlstein et al. (2009) debates that women who have postpartum depression can lead to an increased risk of infanticide after the delivery of there child, with a mother that has postpartum pyschosis. This pyschosis can be triggered by previous mental health issues such as bipolar. In this study it can also be found that infancide may also occur due to neglect and abuse because the child is unwanted and therefore the mother may result to harm the child or themselves. This article provides detailed information on the servierity of postpartum depression and how pycosisic can be triggered by past mental health issues, which may assist in current case to gather information of this paticualar

According to two recent studies, 7-13% of all postpartum women suffer from depression. Even more alarming, the prevalence of postpartum depression (PPD) in mothers who have pre-term infants rises to 30-40% according to a recent review (Robertson E, Grace S, Wallington T, Stewart DE., 2004; Schmied V, Johnson M, Naidoo N, et al., 2013). Mood and anxiety disorders, specifically PPD, are severe, yet common complications in women of reproductive age. Undertreated depression in postpartum women is associated with health risks for both the mother and infant, making the goal of euthymia a top priority in the care of postpartum women. Current practice regarding PPD focuses on the triad approach of early detection and prevention, the use of pharmacotherapy, and the use of psychotherapy. However, the treatment of mental illness during pregnancy requires weighing the benefits of pharmacological treatment for the mother, to the risk of the medications on the growth and development of the fetus as well as the theoretical risks associated with undertreated depression. However, many studies are showing that the risks of postpartum depression to both the mother and infant significantly outweigh the risks of pharmacological treatment during pregnancy. Also, due to the ethical issues surrounding trials of pharmacotherapy during pregnancy, further research to determine evidenced-based methods of treatment are still necessary. The most important intervention to date is a

Most antidepressants have not been adequately tested in children, not even in adults. Children’s bodies do not absorb and eliminate drugs the same way an adult’s body does. (Harvard Mental Health Letter, December 2005, 5). The Harvard Mental Health Letter states:

Do they believe that antidepressants are safe? Do their studies give results that were now shown in the ones claiming that antidepressants are harmful? Let’s evaluate some of these claims. What I found is most of their claims is that antidepressants used during pregnancy do not cause birth defects, but nothing about the increased risk of aggression, suicide, or other problems that could be caused by their use. The first study I discovered was ‘No increased risk of autism, ADHD with prenatal antidepressant exposure, study indicates’ done by the Massachusetts General Hospital preformed earlier this year. The researchers looked at the medical records from three Massachusetts health care facilities, and found “no evidence that prenatal exposure to antidepressants increases the risk for autism and related disorders or for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)” (Massachusetts para 2). They had stated that even though there was an increase in autism and ADHD incidences when antidepressants were taking taken during pregnancy, it was concluded that “antidepressant exposure during pregnancy did not increase the incidence of either condition” (Massachusetts para 1). They believe that antidepressants were believe to cause these conditions, were actually due to those researchers failing to take into account the difference “between mothers who take antidepressants and those who don’t, in particular that those taking

It’s simply easy to discard a young adult with a hint of depression or anxiety in society’s eyes. In fact, depression is a fickle box, a diverse illness, with different prior causes and abstract theories (Mukherjee, New York Times Magazine, 2012). Most adults might be under a false impression that it’s a normal for children to have severe mood swings. As for the adults who have worked under the physiatric/medical field, knew professionally that wasn’t the case. Antidepressants is the key ingredient and solution for these young adults to handle for their own mental problems. Con: However, The U.S Food and Drug Administration slapped “black box” warning on antidepressants, with even a small minority chance of increased suicide risk, behind the agency's strongest safety alert (Olson, Omaha World-Herald, 2005).

Postpartum depression is a category of depression that can occur when a mother has a baby. The symptoms of postpartum depression are similar to the symptoms of major depression. Postpartum depression is often experienced during the first month that the baby is born (Bolyn 2017). Some women experience postpartum depression during pregnancy (Bolyn 2017). A few symptoms of postpartum depression are excessive crying, loss of appetite, feelings of hopelessness, and difficulty concentrating (Bolyn 2017). Teen pregnancy contributes to a small percentage of women who are diagnosed with postpartum depression (Bolyn 2017). A pregnant woman is considered a teen mom if she is from the ages of

The main argument being made is that some antidepressants can cause birth defects, the article provides us with a study to help prove this. The study looked at data on more than 38,000 women who had given birth in 1997-2009 and compared what the mother’s antidepressants are and the child’s number of birth defects (Neighmond, 2015). One concept or idea that ties into child development is epigenetics, where the environment influences or alters gene expression (Berk, 2018), which makes me wonder if in some cases the child being exposed to an environment of a depressed mother, it may cause some genes to alter. This also ties into the concept of passive gene environment, where parents who are genetically related to the child set up the environment

Being pregnant and having a baby requires you to be so careful about your health, so that your baby will be healthy and happy. When you are pregnant you can’t drink, smoke, do legal or illegal drugs and you have to exercise, eat well, take supplements, and take care of your body. You have to be so careful when you are pregnant, you are growing another person. Their lives and well being are your responsibility. There are some women out there that aren’t taking proper care of their unborn babies, who are using drugs when they are pregnant. In 2005 in the US, The National Survey of Drug Use and Health showed that over 3000 babies were found had high risk for drug misuse and almost 4% of pregnant women in the US use illicit drugs during pregnancy.

JAMA. (2014, June 6). Antidepressant medications for children and adolescents: Information for parents and caregivers. Retrieved October 27, 2016, from National Institute of Mental Health, https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/child-and-adolescent-mental-health/antidepressant-medications-for-children-and-adolescents-information-for-parents-and-caregivers.shtml

I agree with you that it is important to pay attention to a mother’s health and mental well-being. As you stated in your post regarding questions at the first visit, you included asking how the mother is doing emotionally. Assessing the health of the mother is a key component in the assessment of an infant, or child. Both the mental and physical health of the mother can have a profound effect on the child. Postpartum depression (PPD) occurs in 1 of 7 women, with symptoms starting anytime within the 1st year of life (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2016). Although women should have a scheduled follow-up with their obstetrician post-delivery, proper screening for PPD may not always be completed. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends pediatricians

A mother who struggles with depression post-partum is likely to expose her baby to more harmful effects. Gerhardt (2015) states that the baby of a depressed mother can find it difficult to cope with or get over stress, or they may be more fearful (p. 21). These babies also may respond to others with depression themselves, as their mother may be neglectful in their care (Gerhardt, 2015, p. 36). One of the reasons for this is because of their cortisol levels, which can fluctuate situationally. However, in infants this can affect their development (Gerhardt, 2015, p. 83) as well as their immune system (Gerhardt, 2015, p. 118), and is evidence that a mother with depression can have a significant impact on her child well beyond when the depression occurs. Additionally, Gerhardt (2015) notes that, “When they grow up, these babies of depressed mothers are highly at risk of succumbing to depression themselves.” (p.