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Can Antidepressant Medication Be Taken During Pregnancy?
Question: How do females who are on anti depressants get pregnant & have healthy babies? Surely its not safe to go off their anti depressants?
Brief Answer:
drug treatment depends on severity of depression.
Detailed Answer:
Hello
Welcome to HCM.
If a female is suffering from depression during pregnancy, it must be treated.
Peripartum depression increase the risk post partum depression and psychosis.
Sertraline is considered to be safest of all the antidepressants.
The female can be frequently monitored with ultrasound scans, if needed.
However, if the depression is mild, psychological treatments like cognitive behaviour therapy can be done.
All depends on clinical assessment by a psychiatrist.
Hope this answers your query satisfactorily.
Feel free to ask further.
Regards.
drug treatment depends on severity of depression.
Detailed Answer:
Hello
Welcome to HCM.
If a female is suffering from depression during pregnancy, it must be treated.
Peripartum depression increase the risk post partum depression and psychosis.
Sertraline is considered to be safest of all the antidepressants.
The female can be frequently monitored with ultrasound scans, if needed.
However, if the depression is mild, psychological treatments like cognitive behaviour therapy can be done.
All depends on clinical assessment by a psychiatrist.
Hope this answers your query satisfactorily.
Feel free to ask further.
Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
What class of hazard is sertaline? A, B, C, D etc
Brief Answer:
category C.
Detailed Answer:
Sertraline and most antidepressants belong to pregnancy category C drugs.
Pregnancy category C includes those drugs of which "Animal reproduction studies have shown an adverse effect on the fetus and there are no adequate and well-controlled studies in humans, but potential benefits may warrant use of the drug in pregnant women despite potential risks".
Hope this answers your query.
Thanks.
category C.
Detailed Answer:
Sertraline and most antidepressants belong to pregnancy category C drugs.
Pregnancy category C includes those drugs of which "Animal reproduction studies have shown an adverse effect on the fetus and there are no adequate and well-controlled studies in humans, but potential benefits may warrant use of the drug in pregnant women despite potential risks".
Hope this answers your query.
Thanks.
Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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