Antipsychotic medication taken during pregnancy can affect babies, study claims

Taking antipsychotic medication during pregnancy can increase the chances of babies being born prematurely or needing special care, according to an Australian study. The study found that while most women gave birth to healthy babies, the use of mood stabilisers or higher doses of antipsychotics during pregnancy increased the need for special care after birth with 43% of babies placed in a Special Care Nursery or a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, almost three times the national rate in Australia. As well as an increased likelihood of the need for intensive care, the study by experts from the Monash Alfred Psychiatry