October 24, 2012

pregnancy and mental health

Despite the enduring portrait of a ‘happy, glowing’ expectant mother, mental illness can affect up to 10% of pregnant women. Pregnant women are faced with multitudes of conflicting advice: what to eat, what to drink, whether to work. But for some women, one of the most difficult and important choices to make is whether to take psychotropic medication or risk living with a mental illness while pregnant.

We brought together two of the UK’s leading experts to discuss the key issues surrounding pregnancy and mental health today.

Topics covered:

• What is the prevalence and range of mental health issues during and after pregnancy?
• What can we do to detect and help women who experience a mental illness during pregnancy?
• What are the risks of taking psychotropic medications when pregnant compared to the risks of not taking them?

Speakers:

Prof Louise Howard – Head of Section of Women’s Mental Health, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London & Honorary Consultant Perinatal Psychiatrist.

Prof Carmine Pariante – Head of the Stress, Psychiatry and Immunology Laboratory and of the Section of Perinatal Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London.