Psychiatric disease during pregnancy

Psychiatric problems are common at the beginning and end of pregnancy:

• first trimester of the pregnancy:
  • unwanted pregnancy may cause anxiety and depression
  • hyperemesis gravidarum
  • pseudocyesis and Couvade syndrome
  • reaction to termination or miscarriage
  • anxiety about genetic screening
    
    
• third trimester of the pregnancy:
  • anxiety about labour or parenthood
  • fears about the normality of the foetus

Psychiatric disease during pregnancy is more common in those women with a previous psychiatric history.

Psychiatric disease often interferes with the continuity of ante-natal care.

Care should be taken when prescribing drugs to pregnant women.