title: Pharmacotherapy of bipolar II disorder during and after pregnancy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to evaluate the pharmacotherapy of bipolar II disorder during pregnancy and the postpartum period.
  
  
  METHODS
  The use of psychotropic drugs and recurrence risk during and after pregnancy was studied in a prospective, observational study of 37 women with bipolar II disorder.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During pregnancy the majority of participants (54.0%) were not on any psychotropic medication, approximately one third (32%) received monotherapy, and the rest were on combination therapy. In comparison, during the postpartum period only 14% of participants were not on any psychotropic medication, approximately 35% received monotherapy, and over 50% were on combination therapy. While only 13.5% of participants were on 3 or more psychotropic drugs during pregnancy, 21.6% required 3 or more psychotropic drugs after childbirth in order to manage their symptoms. During pregnancy, 51 % of women had a mood episode compared to a recurrence rate of 70% in the postpartum period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Small sample size, lack of a control group, and absence of random treatment assignment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings of this prospective, observational study indicate that the recurrence risk is much higher after childbirth than during pregnancy in spite of higher utilization of psychotropic drugs in the postpartum period.
authors.affiliation: 850 Highbury Avenue, Regional Mental Health Care - London, Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program, P.O. Box 5532, Station B, London, ON N6A4H1, Canada. vsharma@uwo.ca.
authors.forename: Verinder
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sommerdyk
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Campbell
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012008:Recurrence; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs