El March 30 is World Bipolar Affective Disorder Day, a date to make the population aware of this type of mental illness. This day was chosen because it is the date of birth of the painter Vicent Van Gogh, who, from what we know of his life, suffered from this disorder.
Bipolar affective disorder or bipolarity is a fairly common mental illness. If you are a woman diagnosed with this disorder, whether mild or severe, it is important that you know the risks of getting pregnant. This disorder does not affect fertility, but the treatment you have during pregnancy and the hormonal changes that will occur in your body are decisive.
Can I get pregnant being bipolar?
Bipolar affective disorder is a severe, chronic, and recurrent mental illness. Although it can appear at any age, the peak is between 15 and 25 years. Women who have been diagnosed with BAD, bipolar affective disorder, they should think about and consult the aspects of pregnancy and its management.
You must have the best information about the spectrum of risks associated with decompensation of disease and treatment. We must bear in mind the vulnerability of postpartum, and the genetic risk that the son or daughter develops the disease, or the malformations consequences of drugs. On the other hand, bipolar women are at higher risk of spontaneous abortions.
El professional will have to reduce the risks that the fetus will have as a result of drugs taken by the mother, while limiting the risks of not treating a psychiatric illness. All mothers accumulate stress from hormonal imbalances that occur in pregnancy, which is harmful to both her and the fetus.
Bipolar affective disorder and pregnancy
All medications Psychotropic drugs spread easily through the placenta, reaching the fetus. Therefore, its use should be restricted during the first trimester. An individualized treatment plan will reduce the risks, both for the mother and for the future child. This plan should consider the possibility of hospital admission if the patient is seriously ill.
Specifically, women with bipolar disorder have a great risk of relapse if left untreated, particularly after abrupt discontinuation of lithium. Recurrence of mania can lead to progression of the disorder. Another risk is the chronicity of the disease and resistance to treatment.
Will the medical team who select the best therapies and treatment. In many cases, a treatment with controlled medications has been implemented: lithium, valproic acid or carbamazepine, and not too invasive, in order to continue with some normality despite the disease. In no case should you miss constant check-ups and exams, for your own health and that of the fetus.
Consequences for the mother and the fetus
To this day, there is still a traditional view that bipolar illness improves during pregnancy. But, clinical observation and recent studies point in the opposite direction. A study carried out by the National Institute of Mental Health (NMIH) on 139 bipolar pregnant women, found that a third of them had reported 1 mood episode during pregnancy and 45% had had severe emotional problems during the course of pregnancy or after giving to light, in the first month of the puerperium.
In the absence of continuous drug therapy, between 50% and 60% of women with bipolar disorder relapse during pregnancy. The term postpartum is considered a high-risk stage for exacerbation of symptoms, there is a 7 times higher risk in postpartum women compared to non-postpartum and non-pregnant women.
The effects of Untreated bipolar disorder on fetal development, not yet studied enough. But there is good information about the impact on the fetus of the unhealthy lifestyle of women with untreated bipolar disorder. These types of factors are insufficient diet, lack of exercise, deterioration of self-care, unhygienic living conditions, and poor compliance with prenatal appointments.