Taking psychoactive drugs during pregnancy: Be careful

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is written by Master, Doctor Nguyen Nhu Thu Truc - Obstetrician and Gynecologist - Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Vinmec Nha Trang International General Hospital.
Using drugs for pregnant women is always one of the issues that many people are concerned about. Drugs for the treatment of neurological conditions include many different groups such as antidepressants, anxiolytics, sleeping pills, and tranquilizers. All these groups of drugs need to be prescribed by a specialist before being used by a patient. The main effect of psychoactive drugs is to alleviate the symptoms of neurological diseases, but many unwanted effects can appear.
Absolutely do not arbitrarily take psychoactive drugs during pregnancy and need to consult a psychiatrist. Women taking antidepressants during pregnancy also need to remember to have regular antenatal check-ups to check their health and assess the development of the fetus.

1. Some common neurological diseases during pregnancy

1.1 Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a disease associated with disturbances in the conduction of electrical stimuli in nerve cells in both hemispheres of the brain. The release of the impulses is repetitive and out of control. Patients with epilepsy have characteristic clinical manifestations that include sudden onset seizures with or without disturbances of consciousness. Seizures occur randomly with increasing frequency of repetition causing many inconveniences to the patient, sometimes even being life-threatening in situations such as seizures occurring while the patient is driving a vehicle. traffic, swimming.
However, not all epilepsy patients experience seizures and loss of consciousness. Some people with epilepsy only have atypical symptoms such as headache, abdominal pain,... Epilepsy is divided into many different types based on many factors, the most common is the classification. into partial epilepsy and generalized epilepsy. Epilepsy is often detected and diagnosed based on clinical manifestations and the support of a number of laboratory tools such as EEG.

1.2 Depression

Depression is one of the more common neurological diseases in today's society. According to statistics of the World Health Organization, every year an average of 850,000 people die from suicide due to depression. The prevalence of postpartum depression among women, also known as postpartum depression, is noted to increase over time. Depression can appear at any age, in which women have a higher frequency than men.
Mood disorders are typical symptoms of people with depression. People who experience depression often have a sad spirit, a monotonous, lifeless, depressed, and negative facial expression. Those hobbies are also gradually disappearing. Patients always feel tired, sleepy, do not want to meet people as well as feel not healthy enough to go to school, study and go to work. Insomnia at night is also one of the signs to help identify depression.

Depression patients do not always have all of the above symptoms, in some cases only one of the symptoms can be observed. The exact cause is not well understood, but depression is often reported to occur after psychological trauma that leads to changes in the person's behavior and thinking. Recognizing and treating depression plays an important role, especially helping to reduce the rate of suicide because of depression in the community.

2. Is taking psychoactive drugs during pregnancy really safe?

Usually, neurological diseases are diseases with a long progression and treatment should be strictly followed as directed by a specialist. Arbitrarily stopping drug use or changing dosage are dangerous things, affecting the effectiveness of disease control. Pregnant women with neurological diseases need to be under the careful supervision of neurologists and obstetricians to ensure safety for the health of both mother and fetus.
The drugs currently prescribed to treat epilepsy are mainly used to control and relieve symptoms, especially to prevent the recurrence of seizures. Epilepsy currently does not have a specific treatment that can completely cure it. As a result, people with epilepsy are often required to stay on treatment for a long time to achieve the goal of disease control.
Women with gestational epilepsy have more adverse risk factors for both mother and pregnancy. The occurrence of seizures can lead to trauma and accidents for pregnant women, leading to complications for the fetus such as miscarriage, premature birth. Women with epilepsy during pregnancy still need to continue taking their epilepsy medication regularly with the supervision of their doctor. Drugs for epilepsy treatment that do not cross the placenta and cause unwanted effects on the fetus will be preferred.

Women with epilepsy before deciding to become pregnant should keep the disease under control and see a specialist for advice. The first trimester or the first 3 months of pregnancy is the period when birth defects are most likely to form in the fetus and this is also the time when psychoactive drugs are most likely to affect the fetus. Doctors often reduce the dose during this period with drugs that are safe for pregnant women. Pregnant women need to coordinate with medical staff to follow the treatment regimen throughout pregnancy in the most accurate way. A healthy pregnancy when the health of the mother and the fetus is guaranteed.
Depression is also a disease that needs to be well controlled to limit its consequences. Depression in pregnant women remains a challenging health issue. Many studies have shown that taking antidepressants during pregnancy can cause unwanted effects on the formation and development of the fetus as well as the period after the baby is born.
However, the decision to continue using antidepressants during pregnancy is controversial. Therefore, pregnant women who unfortunately suffer from depression need to be examined and consulted with a psychiatrist. A number of non-pharmacological treatments for depression may be indicated on a case-by-case basis. Regular follow-up at obstetric centers is also a beneficial measure when monitoring the health status of the fetus that pregnant women should not ignore.

In order to protect the health of pregnant women and babies during pregnancy, Vinmec International General Hospital provides a package of maternity services as a solution to help pregnant women feel secure because of the companionship of the medical team. throughout pregnancy. When choosing Maternity Package, pregnant women can:
The pregnancy process is monitored by a team of highly qualified doctors Regular check-ups, early detection of abnormalities The Package Maternity package helps to facilitate convenient for the birthing process Newborns are taken care of comprehensively.

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