HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Google Scholar Articles by Conlon, O. Articles by Lynch, J. PubMed Articles by Conlon, O. Articles by Lynch, J.

Maternal depression: risk factors and treatment options during pregnancy

^1. Erne Hospital, Cornagrade Road, Enniskillen, County Fermanagh BT74 6AY, UK Email: orla.conlon{at}westerntrust.hscni.net (corresponding author)
^2. Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, Trust Headquarters, Nore Villa, Knockbracken Healthcare Park, Saintfield Road, Belfast BT8 8BH, UK

Key content:

• Psychiatric illness was identified as the leading cause of indirect death in the fifth and sixth CEMACH reports; the decrease in the rate of suicide in the seventh report may indicate that previous recommendations are having a beneficial effect.
  
• Half of the women identified in the earlier reports had a history of serious mental illness.
  
• Depression during pregnancy is complex and difficult to treat.
  

Learning objectives:

• To learn about the background, diagnosis and management.
  

Ethical issues:

• How aggressive should any active approach be to reduce the risk of maternal death?
  
• Can the use of pharmacological agents, which can cause fetal toxicity and neonatal withdrawal problems, be justified?
  

Please cite this article as: Conlon O, Lynch J. Maternal depression: risk factors and treatment options during pregnancy. The Obstetrician & Gynaecologist 2008;10:151–155.

Keywords antidepressive agents / fetal toxicity / selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors / suicide / maternal death