Close Monitoring of Pregnant Women with Bipolar Disorder Improves Outcomes

Interesting article from Medscape Today:

Close Monitoring of Pregnant Women with Bipolar Disorder Improves Outcomes
May 29, 2007 (San Diego) — Careful follow-up of pregnant women with bipolar disorder (BPD), with close monitoring of their medication and compliance with outpatient psychiatric care, results in obstetrical outcomes similar to both women with major depressive disorder (MDD) and national population statistics, according to a study presented at the American Psychiatric Association 2007 Annual Meeting.

"The outcomes of the bipolar women who were treated carefully were the same as, if not better than, the women with major depression," said lead author Yara Betancourt, a graduate student in the department of psychiatry at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. "The national population statistics are not controlled for mental illness. Our study suggests that we can [at least] mimic national statistics by careful monitoring."

Pregnancy Outcomes

Although there is a burgeoning literature on the effects of maternal depression and anxiety on perinatal outcomes, "very limited research" addresses the issue of adequate treatment for BPD during pregnancy and the effects that it can have on outcomes for mother and newborn at the time of delivery, the authors write.


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