Birth weight of infants after maternal exposure to typical and atypical antipsychotics: prospective comparison study

James J Newham, Simon H Thomas, Karine MacRitchie, Patricia R McElhatton, R Hamish McAllister-Williams

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

127 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The effects of in utero exposure to atypical antipsychotics on infant birth weight are unknown.

AIMS: To determine whether atypical and typical antipsychotics differ in their effects on birth weight after maternal exposure during pregnancy.

METHOD: Prospective data on gestational age and birth weight collected by the National Teratology Information Service for infants exposed to typical (n=45) and atypical (n=25) antipsychotics was compared with data for a reference group of infants (n=38).

RESULTS: Infants exposed to atypical antipsychotics had a significantly higher incidence of large for gestational age (LGA) than both comparison groups and a mean birth weight significantly heavier than those exposed to typical antipsychotics. In contrast those exposed to typical antipsychotics had a significantly lower mean birth weight and a higher incidence of small for gestational age infants than the reference group.

CONCLUSIONS: In utero exposure to atypical antipsychotic drugs may increase infant birth weight and risk of LGA.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)333-7
Number of pages5
JournalBritish Journal of Psychiatry
Volume192
Issue number5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 2008
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Adult
  • Antipsychotic Agents/adverse effects
  • Benzodiazepines/adverse effects
  • Birth Weight/drug effects
  • Clozapine/adverse effects
  • Female
  • Fetal Macrosomia/chemically induced
  • Gestational Age
  • Humans
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Male
  • Mental Disorders/drug therapy
  • Olanzapine
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Complications/drug therapy
  • Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects/chemically induced
  • Prospective Studies
  • Statistics, Nonparametric

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