Pharmacotherapy in perinatal mental health

Main Program Abstract With the recognition of the importance of antenatal mental health for maternal and fetal outcomes there has followed an emphasis on the importance of adequate treatment of mental health in pregnancy. For some women, treatment may include the maintenance or commencement of psychotropic medications. This understanding by clinicians of the importance of maternal mental health may explain the significant rise in rates of use of these agents in pregnancy including rises in antidepressant rates in pregnancy across Australia, USA, Canada and the Netherlands. As rates of use of these agents rise it makes understanding the risks and benefits of these agents for women and offspring important information for all clinicians managing women in pregnancy. This talk will give an overview of the indications, uses, risks and benefits of the key classes of psychotropic medications used to treat mental disorders in pregnancy, including antidepressants, mood stabilisers and antipsychotic agents. A discussion of where the use of these medications fit within an overall perinatal mental health management will be outlined as well as other treatment options for mental disorders. Finally, there will be a discussion of key recommendations for antenatal care monitoring for women who are either started or continue to be treated with these agents across pregnancy