{"id":2338,"date":"2020-01-14T15:09:52","date_gmt":"2020-01-14T15:09:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mtasean.com\/public\/?page_id=2338"},"modified":"2025-12-18T15:14:04","modified_gmt":"2025-12-18T14:14:04","slug":"schizophrenia-and-pregnancy","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mtasean.com\/public\/schizophrenia-and-pregnancy\/","title":{"rendered":"Managing schizophrenia and pregnancy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-rea-inpage-nav-rea-inpage-nav-block rea-inpage-nav-block front has-margin\"><div class=\"rea-inpage-nav-block__image\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/mtasean.com\/public\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/wooden.png)\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"inpage-nav-background\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/mtasean.com\/public\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/wooden.png\"><\/div><div class=\"rea-inpage-nav-block__content\"><div class=\"rea-inpage-nav-block__content--wrapper\"><div class=\"text-wrapper\"><h2 class=\"inpage-nav-title\">Managing schizophrenia and pregnancy <\/h2><ul class=\"inpage-nav-list\"><li>Individuals living with schizophrenia can have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. It is important to consult with your healthcare professional regarding your medical treatment and continue using talking therapy. <\/li><li> If you know someone who is pregnant and living with schizophrenia, you can be a key part of their support network just by listening to them and planning ahead. <\/li><\/ul><\/div><div class=\"section-nav\"><h4 class=\"section-nav--title\">In this section<\/h4><div class=\"section-nav--nav-items js-inpage-nav-items\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rea-paragraph-rea-paragraph-block rea-paragraph-block front\"><div class=\"rea-paragraph-block__content\"><p class=\"content-text\">You can have a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby if you have schizophrenia and looking after yourself can help look after your child. The first thing you should do is to talk to your doctors so you can receive the right treatment and care to manage your schizophrenia and to keep you and your baby healthy. Your doctor can provide recommendations on what is best for your situation, which may help you feel more prepared and in control. Some advice on schizophrenia and pregnancy can be found below.<br><br><\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rea-title-rea-title-block rea-title-block front\"><div class=\"rea-title-block__content\"><h3 id=\"strongi-have-schizophrenia-and-i-want-to-have-a-babystrong\" class=\"content-title \"><strong>I have schizophrenia and I want to have a baby<\/strong><\/h3><h4 class=\"content-subtitle rea-hidden\"><\/h4><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rea-title-rea-title-block rea-title-block front\"><div class=\"rea-title-block__content\"><h3 id=\"\" class=\"content-title rea-hidden\"><\/h3><h4 class=\"content-subtitle \">Can schizophrenia be passed down to my baby?<\/h4><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rea-paragraph-rea-paragraph-block rea-paragraph-block front\"><div class=\"rea-paragraph-block__content\"><p class=\"content-text\">Although schizophrenia tends to run in families, no single gene is thought to be responsible<sup><sup>1<\/sup><\/sup>.  It\u2019s more likely that different combinations of genes can impact the  risk of developing schizophrenia. Also, environmental factors such as  stressful life events, can play just as big a role in the development of  schizophrenia as genetic factors.<sup><sup>2<\/sup><\/sup><br><br><\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rea-title-rea-title-block rea-title-block front\"><div class=\"rea-title-block__content\"><h3 id=\"\" class=\"content-title rea-hidden\"><\/h3><h4 class=\"content-subtitle \">Could my antipsychotic medication impact my chances of becoming pregnant?<\/h4><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rea-paragraph-rea-paragraph-block rea-paragraph-block front\"><div class=\"rea-paragraph-block__content\"><p class=\"content-text\">If you are currently managing your symptoms with medication, you should  discuss with your doctor the risks of treating or not treating your  schizophrenia. Continuing with prescribed medication may carry risks for  your unborn baby, but if you don\u2019t take the medicine, it could leave  you very unwell<sup><sup>3<\/sup><\/sup>. <br> <br>Some antipsychotic medications may increase the levels of prolactin in the blood<sup><sup>4<\/sup><\/sup>.  Although prolactin is helpful to prepare the body for pregnancy, too  much prolactin can impact your chances of becoming pregnant and your  doctor may decide to switch your medication<sup><sup>5<\/sup><\/sup>. Menstrual disorders<br> may also occur with increased prolactin levels, which can influence your libido and fertility<sup>4<\/sup>. It is important to discuss with your doctor which medication is most suitable for you.  <br><br><\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rea-title-rea-title-block rea-title-block front\"><div class=\"rea-title-block__content\"><h3 data-short=\"\" id=\"\" class=\"content-title rea-hidden\"><\/h3><h4 class=\"content-subtitle \">How can talking therapies help?<\/h4><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rea-paragraph-rea-paragraph-block rea-paragraph-block front\"><div class=\"rea-paragraph-block__content\"><p class=\"content-text\">In general, it\u2019s always good to have someone to talk to and your support network of family, friends and peers can help with coping through the stresses during and after pregnancy as well as your schizophrenia. Talking therapies offer a more professional setting where you can talk to someone who is trained to help you manage your schizophrenia.  <br> <br>Specifically, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) or arts therapies are talking therapies that you can try alongside your medication. They can help by changing the way you think and behave and therefore make the schizophrenia symptoms more manageable. These treatments may also help with postpartum psychosis, a rare but serious mental health illness that can affect a woman soon after she has a baby<sup><sup>6<\/sup><\/sup>.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rea-separator-rea-separator-block rea-separator-block front\"><div class=\"rea-separator-block__content\"><hr class=\"rea-separator-block__separator\"><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rea-title-rea-title-block rea-title-block front\"><div class=\"rea-title-block__content\"><h3 id=\"strongi-have-schizophrenia-and-i-am-pregnantstrong\" class=\"content-title \"><strong>I have schizophrenia and I am pregnant<\/strong><\/h3><h4 class=\"content-subtitle rea-hidden\"><\/h4><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rea-title-rea-title-block rea-title-block front\"><div class=\"rea-title-block__content\"><h3 id=\"\" class=\"content-title rea-hidden\"><\/h3><h4 class=\"content-subtitle \">What are the potential risks to my health if I take antipsychotic medication while I am pregnant?<\/h4><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rea-paragraph-rea-paragraph-block rea-paragraph-block front\"><div class=\"rea-paragraph-block__content\"><p class=\"content-text\">Antipsychotic  medications carry potential side effects to your health but there is a  small increase in risk of specific complications if you are also  pregnant.  <br> <br>A  large Canadian study found that pregnant women with schizophrenia, in  comparison to those without diagnosed mental illness, had slightly  higher chances of<sup><sup>7<\/sup><\/sup>:<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rea-list-rea-list-block rea-list-block front\"><div class=\"rea-list-block__wrapper\"><div class=\"list-unordered list\"><p>pre-eclampsia <\/p><p>deep vein thrombosis <\/p><p>preterm birth <\/p><p>small and large birthweight for gestational age  <\/p><p>pregnancy-related diabetes <\/p><p>chronic hypertension  <\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rea-paragraph-rea-paragraph-block rea-paragraph-block front\"><div class=\"rea-paragraph-block__content\"><p class=\"content-text\">Although  this meant that the women in the study had to stay in hospital more  often than average, doctors are now more aware of the potential risks;  therefore, appropriate risk management strategies can be developed to  support women with schizophrenia who intend to be or are pregnant.<br>When assessing the risk\/benefit of antipsychotic medication, your doctor may take into account (among others):<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rea-list-rea-list-block rea-list-block front\"><div class=\"rea-list-block__wrapper\"><div class=\"list-unordered list\"><p>Risk factors for gestational diabetes and excessive weight gain. <\/p><p>The available safety data of these drugs in pregnancy and during the postnatal period. <\/p><p>Risk of relapse without medication<sup><sup>8<\/sup><\/sup>. <\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rea-paragraph-rea-paragraph-block rea-paragraph-block front\"><div class=\"rea-paragraph-block__content\"><p class=\"content-text\">It\u2019s  important that you follow your doctor\u2019s directions and understand  the  importance of managing your symptoms during your pregnancy <sup><sup>9<\/sup>,<sup>10<\/sup><\/sup>.   Ensuring that you and your doctor have open, honest conversations  about  the potential risks of a pregnancy and treatment switches means  that  you\u2019ll have more chance of having a healthy and well-monitored   pregnancy.<br><br><\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rea-title-rea-title-block rea-title-block front\"><div class=\"rea-title-block__content\"><h3 id=\"\" class=\"content-title rea-hidden\"><\/h3><h4 class=\"content-subtitle \">What are the potential risks to my unborn baby if I take antipsychotic medication while I am pregnant?<\/h4><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rea-paragraph-rea-paragraph-block rea-paragraph-block front\"><div class=\"rea-paragraph-block__content\"><p class=\"content-text\">Taking  antipsychotics during pregnancy is unlikely to cause any serious side  effects to your unborn baby (e.g. congenital abnormalities), but it may  be associated with preterm birth, low birth weight and neonatal  withdrawal effects (due to exposure of medication to your baby while in  the womb). However, most of the evidence comes from the use of older  generation antipsychotics and not the newer (\u2018atypical\u2019) antipsychotics<sup>4<\/sup>.  Speak to your doctor if you are concerned about the health of your  unborn baby while you are taking medications and they will evaluate  whether you need to switch medications for the duration of your  pregnancy.<br><br><\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rea-title-rea-title-block rea-title-block front\"><div class=\"rea-title-block__content\"><h3 id=\"\" class=\"content-title rea-hidden\"><\/h3><h4 class=\"content-subtitle \">What else can I do during my pregnancy to support my physical and mental health?<\/h4><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rea-paragraph-rea-paragraph-block rea-paragraph-block front\"><div class=\"rea-paragraph-block__content\"><p class=\"content-text\">There are many things you can do to help maintain your wellbeing during pregnancy:  <\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rea-list-rea-list-block rea-list-block front\"><div class=\"rea-list-block__wrapper\"><div class=\"list-unordered list\"><p>Maintain a healthy diet with physical exercise.  <\/p><p>Take daily supplements of folic acid.<sup><sup>1<\/sup><\/sup> <\/p><p>Reduce your alcohol intake. You should stop drinking if possible.<\/p><p>Stop smoking.<\/p><p>Practice techniques to reduce stress such as muscle relaxation, meditation.<\/p><p>Establish good sleep patterns.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rea-paragraph-rea-paragraph-block rea-paragraph-block front\"><div class=\"rea-paragraph-block__content\"><p class=\"content-text\"><br><\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rea-title-rea-title-block rea-title-block front\"><div class=\"rea-title-block__content\"><h3 id=\"\" class=\"content-title rea-hidden\"><\/h3><h4 class=\"content-subtitle \">Should I continue my medication after I\u2019ve had my baby (post-partum)?<\/h4><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rea-paragraph-rea-paragraph-block rea-paragraph-block front\"><div class=\"rea-paragraph-block__content\"><p class=\"content-text\">Most antipsychotic drugs can pass into the breast milk, albeit at very low levels (&lt;3%)<sup><sup>1<\/sup><\/sup>.  Although there have been some reports of infant drowsiness and lethargy  post-partum, the majority of reports have not found any adverse events  associated with newborn babies<sup><sup>2<\/sup><\/sup>.  To understand whether you should continue with your medication  post-partum, speak to your doctor who will advise you based on your  current situation.<br><br><\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rea-title-rea-title-block rea-title-block front\"><div class=\"rea-title-block__content\"><h3 id=\"\" class=\"content-title rea-hidden\"><\/h3><h4 class=\"content-subtitle \">What to do if I know someone who has schizophrenia and is pregnant?<\/h4><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rea-paragraph-rea-paragraph-block rea-paragraph-block front\"><div class=\"rea-paragraph-block__content\"><p class=\"content-text\">If you are a caregiver to someone who has schizophrenia and is pregnant, the best thing to do is to support them by following three simple steps:<br><br><\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rea-list-rea-list-block rea-list-block front\"><div class=\"rea-list-block__wrapper\"><div class=\"list-ordered list\"><p><em>Listen<\/em>: Being there for your friend or family member with schizophrenia during and after pregnancy can be hugely beneficial. Encourage them to voice their feelings and offer to help them in their daily life.  <\/p><p> <em>Plan ahead<\/em>: Prepare for difficult situations that may arise during and after the pregnancy and encourage open conversations about making certain decisions ahead of time. Schizophrenic new mothers may need lots of support during the postpartum period. Close follow-up is required to watch for any return of psychotic symptoms or infant neglect which may put them at risk<sup>5<\/sup>. <\/p><p> <em>Look after yourself<\/em>: Caring for someone with schizophrenia can be stressful and major life events such as pregnancy can add to the stress. Therefore, it is important that you look after yourself and take time for your own wellbeing.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rea-references-rea-references-block rea-references-block front\"><div class=\"rea-references-block__references\"><p class=\"references-title\">References<\/p><ol class=\"references-list\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/conditions\/schizophrenia\/causes\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/conditions\/schizophrenia\/causes\/<\/a><\/li><li>Brown AS. The environment and susceptibility to schizophrenia. Prog Neurobiol. 2011;93(1):23-58<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/conditions\/pregnancy-and-baby\/mental-health-problems-pregnant\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/conditions\/pregnancy-and-baby\/mental-health-problems-pregnant\/<\/a><\/li><li>Bargiota, et al., The Effects of Antipsychotics on Prolactin Levels and Women&#8217;s Menstruation Schizophr Res Treatment. 2013; 2013: 502697. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3886401\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3886401\/<\/a><\/li><li>Robinson, Treatment of schizophrenia in pregnancy and postpartum. The Canadian journal of clinical pharmacology 19(3):e380-6 \u00b7 October 2012 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/232279872_Treatment_of_schizophrenia_in_pregnancy_and_postpartum\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/232279872_Treatment_of_schizophrenia_in_pregnancy_and_postpartum<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/conditions\/post-partum-psychosis\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/conditions\/post-partum-psychosis\/<\/a><\/li><li>Vigod et al., Maternal and newborn outcomes among women with schizophrenia: a retrospective population-based cohort study, BJOG. 2014 Apr;121(5):566-74. <a href=\"https:\/\/obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1111\/1471-0528.12567\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1111\/1471-0528.12567<\/a><\/li><li>Using antipsychotics in pregnancy &#8211; NHS Evidence <a href=\"https:\/\/arms.evidence.nhs.uk\/resources\/hub\/1047945\/attachment\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/arms.evidence.nhs.uk\/resources\/hub\/1047945\/attachment<\/a><\/li><li>Teodorescu et al., Dilemma of treating schizophrenia during pregnancy: A case series and a review of literature. BMC Psychiatry. 2017 Aug 29;17(1):311. Review. <a href=\"https:\/\/bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com\/articles\/10.1186\/s12888-017-1475-z\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com\/articles\/10.1186\/s12888-017-1475-z<\/a> <\/li><li>Levinson. Review: women with schizophrenia have poorer pregnancy outcomes than other women, but it is unclear whether antipsychotic medications affect their infants. Evidence-Based Mental Health 2003;6:89. <a href=\"https:\/\/ebmh.bmj.com\/content\/6\/3\/89\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/ebmh.bmj.com\/content\/6\/3\/89<\/a>    <\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/common-health-questions\/pregnancy\/why-do-i-need-folic-acid-in-pregnancy\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/common-health-questions\/pregnancy\/why-do-i-need-folic-acid-in-pregnancy\/<\/a> <\/li><li>Gentile S. Infant safety with antipsychotic therapy in breast-feeding: a systematic review. J Clin Psychiatry 2000; 69:666-673<\/li><li>Einarson A. Antipsychotic medication(safety\/risk) during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Curr Women\u2019s Health Rev. 2010:6:34-38.<\/li><\/ol><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rea-title-rea-title-block rea-title-block front rea-share-block\" style=\"margin-bottom:30px;text-align:center;\">\n\t\t<div class=\"\">\n\t\t\t<span style=\"display:block;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:20px;\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/mtasean.com\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2338\" class=\"facebook-share\" target=\"_blank\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&#038;url=https:\/\/mtasean.com\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2338\" class=\"linkedin-share\" target=\"_blank\"><\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Share<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-fullwidth.php","meta":{"rea_page_title_signed_in_meta_block_field":"pregnancy and schizophrenia","rea_page_title_signed_out_meta_block_field":"pregnancy and schizophrenia","rea_page_description_signed_in_meta_block_field":"","rea_page_description_signed_out_meta_block_field":"","rea_page_footer_id_meta_block_field":"","rea_page_footer_date_meta_block_field":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2338","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mtasean.com\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2338","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mtasean.com\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mtasean.com\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mtasean.com\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mtasean.com\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2338"}],"version-history":[{"count":32,"href":"https:\/\/mtasean.com\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2338\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5072,"href":"https:\/\/mtasean.com\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2338\/revisions\/5072"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mtasean.com\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2338"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}