DEPRESSION IN PREGNANCY – CONSEQUENCES AND TREATMENT MODALITIES
ABSTRACT
Depression is a mood disorder which can affect 1 in every 4 women at some point of life even during pregnancy. Depression is most often not properly diagnosed during pregnancy as it is assumed by people to be just another type of imbalance in hormones. But this assumption can be very dangerous to the mother and the foetus(1). The health care professionals are very cautious about the treatment for depression in pregnancy as both use of antidepressant and untreated depression in pregnancy can lead to risks for the unborn baby(2)(3). This review focusses on the complications associated with both treated and untreated depression during pregnancy. In addition, if the treatment is inevitable, then factors such as teratogenesis, withdrawal symptoms, neurobehavioral effects, risk of untreatment and risk of discontinuing the medication need to be considered before selecting the suitable therapy.
Key words: Pregnancy, Depression, Drug-therapy, Foetal toxicity.
INTRODUCTION
Pregnancy
…show more content…
The baby born to a depressed woman is found to be more agitated and less active and decreased attentiveness compared to the infant born to a women without depression(9)(10)(11). Untreated depression in pregnant women can cause premature birth, low birth weight and many other developmental problems in the foetus(12). The postnatal depression in women can lead to poor cognitive and language development in the infant. They are found to have declined I.Q and insecure attachments. Postnatal depression in mother can lead to negative parenting and suicidal behaviour. They have poor parent child interaction(13)(14). Research has found that the prevention on maternal depression can prevent infant problems of maternal depression like behavioural problems, insecure attachments