AUSTRALIA needs new guidelines for anti-psychotic drugs in pregnancy, says a researcher whose study shows increased risks for the mum and baby.
Doctors need to take extra care with pregnant women who are on the drugs, says lead researcher Professor Jayashri Kulkarni, but it is usually best to continue taking them.
Although just over half the babies are born healthy, mothers are prone to gestational diabetes and the babies are at increased risk of respiration issues and premature birth.
Newborn babies are three times more likely than average to need a special care nursery or intensive care because of the medication.
The study shows around eighteen per cent are born prematurely, 37 per cent have signs of respiratory distress and 15 per cent have withdrawal symptoms.
However, the babies had normal development after 12 months, according to the study published in the journal PLOS ONE.
It is the first in the world to show the extent of the problem and highlights a need for clearer guidelines, says Prof Kulkarni, director of the Monash Alfred Psychiatry research centre in Victoria.
A lack of knowledge has made it difficult for doctors to give clear advice on the how safe the drugs are in pregnancy, she says.
The drug clozapine should be treated with the most caution.
She says continuing anti-psychotic medication is probably the best option for women with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and severe depression.
“If somebody really needs an antipsychotic there is not much choice.
“Without it a mother’s mental state can become dreadful and cause other complications for herself and the baby.”