Psychotropic Drugs and the Perinatal Period

The prescription of psychotropic drugs during pregnancy is always challenging. Clinicians must weigh the risk of a maternal relapse should treatment be interrupted or modified against the teratogenic or fetotoxic risk of antenatal exposure to psychotropic drugs. Women must be informed of the potential influence on the pregnancy and the course of their disorder and consider whether the benefits outweigh the risk. The mother’s ability postpartum to care for and interact with the infant appropriately is an important consideration. The management of these pregnancies must be nested in a multidisciplinary network, to allow antenatal implementation of specific types of care in accordance with local or national perinatal mental health policies.