Psychiatria pre prax 4/2020

Anxiety disorders in peripartal period

Approximately 30% of women suffer from some type of anxiety disorder during their life. One of the high-risk periods is pregnancy and the postpartum period, when anxiety disorders appear or already diagnosed anxiety disorders worsen. This review brings a summary of a current knowledge of prevalence, course and possibilities of anxiety disorders therapy in the peripartal period with a particular focus on antidepressants and anxiolytics, the risks of their use for the fetus and the possible impact on the neurobehavioral development of the child.

Keywords: anxiety disorders, pregnancy, postpartum period, antidepressants, anxiolytic drugs