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Perinatal Use of Antidepressants

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Psychopharmacology

  • 72 Accesses

Synonyms

Perinatal psychopharmacology

Definition

Depressive disorders are common in pregnancy (Yonkers et al. 2009). Treatment of pregnant women with depression requires careful consideration of the benefits of antidepressant agents and the obstetrical and perinatal risks to both mothers and their infants.

Current Concepts and State of Knowledge

Mood disorders frequently affect women of reproductive age and, therefore, commonly occur during pregnancy (Yonkers et al. 2009). While psychotherapy is effective for mild-to-moderate depression, women with severe depression or an incomplete response may require pharmacotherapy (Yonkers et al. 2009). Antidepressants cross the placenta, so maternal use results in some degree of fetal exposure. Consequently, the decision to initiate or modify antidepressant treatment requires a careful assessment of risks of untreated depression and those related to antidepressant medications.

Depression poses risks to both mother and infant. Compared to women...

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, 300 George Street, Suite 901, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA

    Katherine A. Blackwell & Ariadna Forray

  2. Departments of Psychiatry, Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences and the School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale School of Medicine, 142 Temple Street, Suite 301, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA

    Kimberly A. Yonkers

Authors
  1. Katherine A. Blackwell
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  2. Ariadna Forray
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  3. Kimberly A. Yonkers
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kimberly A. Yonkers .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Behavioural Pharmacology, King's College London Institute of Psychiatry P049, London, United Kingdom

    Ian P. Stolerman

  2. Brown Medical School, Butler Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island, USA

    Lawrence H. Price

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© 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Blackwell, K.A., Forray, A., Yonkers, K.A. (2013). Perinatal Use of Antidepressants. In: Stolerman, I., Price, L. (eds) Encyclopedia of Psychopharmacology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27772-6_7029-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27772-6_7029-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27772-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Biomedicine and Life SciencesReference Module Biomedical and Life Sciences

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