Hormonal Differences Between Antidepressants And Pregnancy

Segre, A. R. (n.d.). Perinatal Depression: A Review of U.S. Legislation and Law. Retrieved from www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3725295/

Stimulants are considered as a drug and are commonly used today. The question is will use of stimulants while pregnant affect the infant. A pregnant woman can be prescribed stimulants (Antidepressants) because of them being depressed and stressed out about everything that is occurring in their life while pregnant, but what many people do not see is it going to affect the infant long-term. Most mothers want what is best for their child and they want to make sure that their child is going to have a healthy life as much as possible. Is it safe to take the antidepressants while pregnant and will there be any risk factors? There is mainly a biological and environmental that reflect a child’s senses and development.

There are several different antidepressants. Different antidepressants can affect the body in different ways. There are a few antidepressants that have been deemed safe for breastfeeding women. Some of those antidepressants include Paxil and Zoloft. Studies have shown that those antidepressants are not detectable

(Stewart, D.E., Robertson, E., Dennis, G.L., Grace, S.L. & Wallington, T. 2003) If we can prevent perinatal to avoid adverse effects on both the mother and child, there is evidence that preventive intentions are efficacious for perinatal depression. The research

According to the North Carolina Clinic, they have a research program to understand why women go through depression during pregnancy, and after childbirth. The research program

The presence of risk factors does not guarantee that a woman will experience PPD, but it may indicate that the health care provider should pay a little more attention to possible signs and symptoms of depression. Known risk factors include depression or other mental illness prior to, and during, pregnancy, a family history of depression or other mental health disorders, a history of substance abuse, the age of the mother, financial concerns, lack of a support system, and being a single parent (Camp, 2013). In the presence of risk factors it is important for the health care provider to educate the woman on ways to

The birth of a baby can trigger powerful emotions such as joy, excitement, maybe some fear and anxiety. But it can also trigger something you did not expect –depression. The depression is called postpartum depression, or also known as postnatal depression, it’s a type of depression that can affect both the mother and the father. This is most likely to happen after giving birth or up to a year later. But it usually occurs within the first three months after delivery. Postpartum depression doesn’t actually have a specific cause but it is mostly caused by the anxiety of the responsibilities of parenthood. (Mayo Clinic Staff)

The third environmental factor that is said to cause ASD is the use of antidepressants during pregnancy. This study included 298 children with ASD and 1507 children without ASD as the control group from Northern California using the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program (KPNC). This focused on the years of 1995 to 1999 and babies that were born at KPNC. Mothers during the 3 months before the last menstrual period (LMP) were given one of 3 different antidepressant medications. The first medication contained SSRI’s, next medication contained serotonin-noradrenergic-reuptake inhibitors and other dual-action antidepressants, the last type of antidepressant which contains hydrochloride is tricyclic. Starting from preconception all the way to the delivery of the child the mothers were given antidepressant medication for 4 times over a one year time frame.

There are times that one feels hopeless during a situational event, but usually this feeling passes. Depression can be situational or clinical. The severity of the depression can cause one to be suicidal, especially if one is diagnosed with clinical depression, or a bipolar disorder. In the research report, Epidemiology of Women and Depression, it states that it is more common for women than men to have depression, and hormonal changes can contribute to depression. Pregnancy can cause depression, but what about mothers who also have a depressive disorder? (Kessler). This paper will look at these concerns, and will look at the risks to the mother and child, as well as the pros and cons of taking antidepressants (ADs) during pregnancy.

The main argument being made is that some antidepressants can cause birth defects, the article provides us with a study to help prove this. The study looked at data on more than 38,000 women who had given birth in 1997-2009 and compared what the mother’s antidepressants are and the child’s number of birth defects (Neighmond, 2015). One concept or idea that ties into child development is epigenetics, where the environment influences or alters gene expression (Berk, 2018), which makes me wonder if in some cases the child being exposed to an environment of a depressed mother, it may cause some genes to alter. This also ties into the concept of passive gene environment, where parents who are genetically related to the child set up the environment

fact depression can also come from an environment. If a child's sibling is depressed, or a

Depression during pregnancy is scarily something that is often overlooked. According to Clay (2016), mothers feel as if they are unable to care for the coming baby. These mothers may have one or more other kids and are worried about the care that they may receive, or lack thereof. Along with this, mothers may worry about their identity to the baby. Many people do not know just exactly what a Psychological disorder is. Along with this, the effects of attachment that are extremely beneficial to all age children. Depression is never something that should be taken lightly. Though it is widely overlooked, depression in pregnancy causes premature births in 82% of women.

During pregnancy, there are some factors beyond the mother’s control which can have negative significances for the fetus. Maternal stress occurs when the mother is exposed to psychosocial stressors during pregnancy (Kramer et al, 2009). The mother could also develop depression during or after her pregnancy. This mental illness affects the mother’s ability to function and cope with everyday life (NIHCM, 2010), thus affecting her relationship with her baby. Recent research evidence has highlighted that there is some overlap between the symptoms of maternal depression and stress (Cheng & Pickler, 2014), and that these play a role in affecting the normal development of the fetus. However, other research has indicated that stress and depression do not harm the fetus, and in fact can be developmentally beneficial (DiPetro, 2004). In this essay, a number of symptoms of maternal stress and depression shall be addressed, and the extent to which they affect the developing fetus. First to be discussed is how the emotional stability of the mother may affect the relationship she has with her baby.

A mother who struggles with depression post-partum is likely to expose her baby to more harmful effects. Gerhardt (2015) states that the baby of a depressed mother can find it difficult to cope with or get over stress, or they may be more fearful (p. 21). These babies also may respond to others with depression themselves, as their mother may be neglectful in their care (Gerhardt, 2015, p. 36). One of the reasons for this is because of their cortisol levels, which can fluctuate situationally. However, in infants this can affect their development (Gerhardt, 2015, p. 83) as well as their immune system (Gerhardt, 2015, p. 118), and is evidence that a mother with depression can have a significant impact on her child well beyond when the depression occurs. Additionally, Gerhardt (2015) notes that, “When they grow up, these babies of depressed mothers are highly at risk of succumbing to depression themselves.” (p.

Pregnancy is one of the happiest moments in life of a woman. However, it is also time of enormous physical and emotional changes in women. Hence, perinatal period may increase vulnerability to various psychiatric conditions such as depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, and psychosis.