USE OF PSYCHOTROPIC-DRUGS AND PREGNANCY OUTCOME

This study reports the use of psychotropic drugs and pregnancy outcome in a prospective survey carried out in northern Finland in 1985-1986, consisting of 7933 pregnant women and their 8030 births. Of the mothe rs, 120 (1.5%) used psychotropic drugs during pregnancy and of them 26 (0.3% of the total) used these drugs before and during the pregnancy. According to the logistic regression analysis, the biological and soc ial background variables associating significantly with the use of the se drugs were maternal advanced age and multiparity (>35 years and >4 parous), overweight (body mass index >the 90th percentile), smoking, a lcohol use, belonging to social class IV, and failure to ensure contra ception. The users needed hospital observation significantly more ofte n during pregnancy (regular users, 80.8%; occasional users, 38.3; nonu sers, 27.4%) and the adjustment of the background variables did not ch ange this result. Of the pregnancy complications bleeding was signific antly more common among users than nonusers (23.3 vs. 13.2%) and this difference was not explained by difference in background variables. Th e mean birth weight of infants of the regular users was significantly lower (255 g) when background variables were standardized by linear re gression analysis. No association of increased number of birth defects was found with usage of psychotropic drugs.