Open AccessPsychotropic drug use in pregnancy and perinatal death
Author(s) -
Laegreid Liv,
Conradi Nils,
Hagberg Gudrun,
Hedner Thomas
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
acta obstetricia et gynecologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.401
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1600-0412
pISSN - 0001-6349
DOI - 10.3109/00016349209021094
Subject(s) - medicine , pregnancy , psychotropic medication , etiology , drug , pediatrics , psychotropic drug , obstetrics , psychiatry , mental health , genetics , biology
The psychotropic drug use in mothers to all 73 perinatally dead infants in the city of Gothenburg, Sweden, in 1985–86, was compared to a control group of mothers to 73 surviving infants. Information regarding medication in pregnancy and pre‐ and perinatal data was collected retrospectively. In addition, serum samples obtained in early pregnancy were screened for benzodiazepines Eighteen case‐mothers used psychotropic drugs during pregnancy compared with 7 control‐mothers. The association between psychotropic drug use and perinatal death was significant (p = 0.01). Psychotropic drug use and maternal disorder were closely correlated, but within the case group there were no significant differences between mothers using or not using psychotropic drugs in terms of age, parity or smoking habits. Although the etiology of death could be discussed in the individual infant, we find it noteworthy that the use of psychotropic drugs was so frequent in the mothers of perinatally dead infants.