Pharmacotherapy of Affective Disorders in Pregnancy: Current Updates
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Open Access Austin Journal of Pharmacology and A Austin Full Text Article Therapeutics Publishing Group Review Article Pharmacotherapy of Affective Disorders in Pregnancy: Current Updates Taliha Harika Aydın and Ozgur Devrim Can* Department of Pharmacology, Anadolu University, Abstract Turkey Affective disorders are common among women of reproductive age. In *Corresponding author: Ozgur Devrim Can, a pregnant women, affective disorders can cause congenital malformations Department of Pharmacology; Anadolu University, and various psychomotor behavioral disorders in newborns. These disorders 26470, Eskisehir, Turkey even can cause premature birth, low birth weight, and unplanned abortion. Appetite loss, inadequate maternal weight gain, sleep disturbances, and poor Received: August 08, 2014; Accepted: September 24, self-care observed in a depressed pregnant can lead some developmental 2014; Published: September 25, 2014 deficits on baby. Further, increased smoking and/or alcohol consuming also damage to the baby. Harmful effect of affective disorders both on the mother and baby, requires to produce suitable treatment algorithms for this diseases in pregnant population. Although psychotherapy is the first consideration in treatment, antidepressant therapy may still be necessary if these regimens are unsuccessful or inaccessible. Indeed, antidepressant therapy may become mandatory, especially in severe cases threating the life of pregnant woman and her unborn child. Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (Ssris) are generally considered first-line in pregnancy. Among the SSRIs, fluoxetine has been reported to prescribe frequently since long term using of this drug is not related with any developmental sequel detected in children. Citalopram/ escitalopram or sertraline are also preferable SSRIs. Tricyclic antidepressants are just relatively safe for the fetus. Unfortunately, a mood stabilizer such as lithium and carbamazepine is known to increase congenital malformation risks. Conventional antipsychotics are relatively safer for the fetus than atypical ones. Benzodiazepines are known as teratogenic agents, and in high dosage have been associated with withdrawal symptoms, hypotonia and agitation in the newborn. Keywords: Affective disorders; Antidepressants; Mood stabilizers; Pregnancy; Teratogenic Abbreviations use in pregnancy were displayed in the Table 1 [3,4]. Affective SSRIs: Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; SNRIs: disorders can also be added to this table, since considerable part of Serotonergic Noradrenergic Reuptake Inhibitors; FDA: Food and the pregnant women have been suffered from this type of complaints Drug Administration [5,6]. It is known that, 15% and 20% of women experience affective disorders during their pregnancy [7]. Further women, ranging from Introduction 5 to 10 percent, consume some type of psychoactive agent during pregnancy [1]. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also underlies The morphological architecture for a human is laid down during the embryonic period, and the structures simply grow in size the importance of “the baby blues”, “depression during pregnancy” and develop normal physiologic function during the fetal period. and “postpartum depression” for the health of mother and advice Congenital anomalies can be induced during the fetal period through Table 1: The main situations requiring use of drugs during pregnancy. a fetal effect, although they are usually induced during the critical Causes of using drugs in pregnancy Situations for drug using embryonic period [1]. Unsuitable drug use during pregnancy is Nausea-vomiting one of the main causes inducing congenital malformations and Gastric burn developmental retardations in newborn. New conditions developed with pregnancy Constipation Hemorrhoid Unfortunately, drug use during pregnancy is a frequent event. Coagulation disturbances Gestational hypertension Diseases specificfor pregnancy Almost two-thirds of pregnant women take at least one medication Gestationaldiabetes during pregnancy. While using of some drugs such as vitamins or Diabetes iron is necessary during gestational period, a significant number Thyroid disorders Hypertension Prepartum chronic diseases of medications is known to cause some serious harmful effect on Epilepsy developing embryo or fetus [1,2]. Nevertheless, during gestational Asthma period, some conditions such as chronic maternal illnesses, HIV pregnancy induced complaints, and pregnancy-specific diseases Flu Others Common cold may make medication use mandatory. Common reasons of drug Rheum Austin J Pharmacol Ther - Volume 2 Issue 8 - 2014 Citation: Taliha Harika Aydın and Ozgur Devrim Can. Pharmacotherapy of Affective Disorders in Pregnancy: ISSN: 2373-6208 | www.austinpublishinggroup.com Current Updates. Austin J Pharmacol Ther. 2014; 2 (8).7 Can et al. © All rights are reserved Ozgur Devrim Can Austin Publishing Group the treatment of this emotional disorder with the help of healthcare Therefore, management of depression during pregnancy should be providers [8]. undertaken in consultation with a psychiatrist and/or psychologist [1,18]. Although psychotherapy is the first consideration in treatment Depression, an affective psychiatric disorder, is common during [19,20], antidepressant therapy may still be necessary if these regimens pregnancy. It affects up to 14-18.4% of pregnant women [9,10]. unsuccessful or inaccessible [11,20,21]. Besides, necessity of long time More than one-quarter of pregnant women describes symptoms of for the success of psychotherapy may also become a disadvantage in depression [1]. The incidence increases especially in the first and some cases. Indeed, antidepressant therapy may become compulsory, third trimester. Depression relapses during pregnancy, in about especially in severe cases threating the life of pregnant woman and 50%of women with depression history. 70% of the pregnant women her unborn child [1,18,20]. The key point of prescribing a medicine interrupting their psychiatric treatment confronts with disease for pregnant women’s health, is performing a careful risk assessment recurrence, especially in the first trimester [11]. and preventing her embryo or fetus from damage probability, as Anhedonia and depressed mood are two major diagnostic much as possible. While treating a pregnant patient, physician should criteria for depression. Depressed women experienced some physical take into account risk of teratogenicity on fetus, postnatal toxicity and symptoms such as sleep disturbances, altered appetite, altered activity, withdrawal syndrome, and long-term behavioral outcomes. On the low energy and fatigue. Sleep and appetite disturbances and energy other hand, safety of drugs is questionable or unknown in many cases reduction, which can also been seen in a healthy pregnant, may [1,11,22]. mislead the physician and depression symptoms of pregnant women FDA has established five risk categories (A, B, C, D and X) to may overlook [11]. Ruminative guilty thoughts, suicidal ideation, indicate the potential of a drug to cause birth defects if used during poor concentration, and indecision are the cognitive symptoms pregnancy. The categories are determined by the reliability of observed in the depressive patients [1,12]. documentation and the risk to benefit assessment. For the drugs Affective disorders are known to effect pregnant women in a listed in Category A, adequate and well-controlled studies have failed negative way. Loss of appetite and inadequate maternal weight gain, to exhibit a risk to the fetus in the pregnancy. Drug has listed in sleep disturbances, and poor self-care behavior may lead deficits in the Category B, if animal reproduction studies have failed to demonstrate development of baby. Increased smoking and/or alcohol consuming a risk to the fetus and there are no adequate and well-controlled of depressed pregnant also damage the baby [10]. Preeclampsia studies in pregnant women. Drugs listed in category C have shown incidence may increase as a result of depression. Worse, major an adverse effect on the fetus in animal reproduction studies and depression complicated with a delusional component in pregnant there are no adequate and well-controlled studies in humans. Drugs women may lead to the mother attempting suicide and infanticide belong to Category D cause human fetal risk. For the drugs listed in [13]. Category X, both preclinical and clinical studies have demonstrated fetal abnormalities and/or there is positive evidence of human fetal As a mental disorder, depression, it adversely affects fetal risk. These drugs are not recommended for use during pregnancy [8]. development. Moderate to severe depression may cause increase in Many of the psychotropic drugs listed as FDA category C agents. the risk of premature birth, low birth weight, unplanned abortion, lower Apgar scores, and smaller head circumference [7,10,14]. With the present state, current limitations of the FDA categories Further, prenatal depression causes decrease in motortone, make difficult to decision making for choosing of an appropriate increase in abnormal reflex response, irritability, atypical frontal medication for pregnant women. Therefore, FDA projected some electroencephalogram patterns, emotional and other psychomotor major revisions to prescription drug labeling to more completely behavioral disorders. Depression-like behavior is seen in the inform the use of drugs during pregnancy, in May 2008. The proposed newborns of depressed mothers. Some of these problems have been regulations