http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/31/antidpressants-during-pregnancy-can-be-tricky/
This article talks about depression levels during pregnancy and the use of anti depressants. They talk about how in recent studies it is shown that the use of anti-depressants during pregnancy could be harmful to the mother. However they say that if depression is not taken care of, it could also prove to be bad for the mother. One point they make is that they provide alternatives to using anti-depressants like yoga, exercise, acupuncture, and also light box therapy. However if symptoms of depression are really high they doctors say that the women who are taking anti-depressants are not doing anything wrong. I feel that in a case where the women know that anti depressants could be bad for their health they should definitely look into the alternative methods. However in a case like this it should be up to the mother to decide what she wants to do and if taking antidepressants is what it is then she should be allowed to do what ever she pleases.
This article talks about depression levels during pregnancy and the use of anti depressants. They talk about how in recent studies it is shown that the use of anti-depressants during pregnancy could be harmful to the mother. However they say that if depression is not taken care of, it could also prove to be bad for the mother. One point they make is that they provide alternatives to using anti-depressants like yoga, exercise, acupuncture, and also light box therapy. However if symptoms of depression are really high they doctors say that the women who are taking anti-depressants are not doing anything wrong. I feel that in a case where the women know that anti depressants could be bad for their health they should definitely look into the alternative methods. However in a case like this it should be up to the mother to decide what she wants to do and if taking antidepressants is what it is then she should be allowed to do what ever she pleases.
I agree that women should be able to decide whether or not to take antidepressants during pregnancy. However, if the drugs are extremely harmful then women should turn to the alternatives. This article states, "when pregnant women take antidepressants, 15% to 30% have babies with neurobehavioral problems such as irritability or risk for seizures." Even though these symptoms go away within a couple weeks, I still feel as if the mother should partake in yoga, exercise, etc. to help her through the depression and not take pills that could prove to be harmful for her baby.
ReplyDeleteI think that in reference to this article, we need to look at two different populations: those women with severe depression, and those with mild-moderate symptoms. Our main goal as a society should be to decrease the risk of harm. For those women who have mild-moderate depression, perhaps a placebo, or the alternative behavioral therapies would be sufficient while the mother is pregnant. If these alternatives tend to work for these women, then we are decreasing the proposed risk of having these women on SSRIs during pregnancy, as well as the adverse effects of depression on the child both before and after birth (prenatal care, and postpartum depression, alike).
ReplyDeleteFor women with severe depression, however, the SSRIs still may be the way to go. Because this article is only based on one study, we don't know if the results will be replicated, and therefore can't say for sure that they are 100% true. For now, women have been on SSRIs during depression, some with no negative outcomes. If the positive outcomes of taking the SSRI during pregnancy outweigh the possible risks, it may still be worth it. These are things that should be decided on a case-by-case basis by consulting the woman's doctor and psychiatrist.
Overall, it is an interesting study, but it seems like there needs to be more research to back it up.
I agree that it should be the woman's choice as to what treatment she wants to receive while she is pregnant. Since this is fairly new research and not much is known about the long term effects of antidepressants on unborn children, I think it is best for these women to stray away from the drugs. It is however, a tricky situation because, if the woman had depression before she got pregnant and then stopped taking her antidepressants, the side effects may be very harmful to her. On the other hand, if she continues the medication to help her depression, she may be harming her unborn child. Both of these solutions could potentially harm someone. I think women who suffer from depression while pregnant should try some of these other alternative remedies. If they can potentially help the depression while not harming the child, I think it is a pretty great alternative!
ReplyDeleteI think that before a pregnant woman starts taking antidepressants she should exhaust all of the other options such as yoga, acupuncture, ect. However, if that doesn't show any changes in her level of depression then I agree with the other posts that it should be the woman's choice as to whether she takes antidepressants or not. I think the article made a good counterpoint for people who are still dubious about pregnant women taking antidepressants because it can potentially harm the baby. The article pointed out that depressed women who don't take their medication usually don't sleep or eat properly. Treatment during pregnancy also helps protect women from postpartum depression. I think that this is a very tricky issue, but it seems like researchers are on the right track.
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