Effects of Bipolar Disorder on Maternal and Fetal Health during Pregnancy: a systematic review with meta-analysis

Abstract

Background Bipolar disorder, or manic-depressive illness, is a mental health condition characterized by mood shifts from severe depression to elevated mood or mania. Pregnant women with BD may experience manic or depressive episodes during gestation, delivery, or postpartum, so they are usually concerned about the effects of BD on their health and their fetal health. The aim of this systematic review is to determine the effects of BD on maternal health and fetal health, weight, and development. It also addresses how BD affects the probability of incidence of pregnancy and labor complications in women with bipolar compared to healthy controls. Methods Three electronic databases (Cochrane, PubMed, and ScienceOpen) were searched, and 1193 eligible studies were identified. After deduplication, screening, and manual search processes, we included only 7 studies. Descriptive analysis, meta-analysis, and calculation of the conditional probability of incidence for each pregnancy outcome were used to analyze the results. Results The findings of the included studies suggest that BD during pregnancy affects both fetal growth and maternal health by increasing the risk of giving birth to a neonate with some birth defects such as microcephaly, small for gestational age, and other congenital anomalies, in addition to causing some obstetric complications such as gestational hypertension, preterm labor, need for assisted delivery and others. Conclusion Bipolar disorder during pregnancy negatively affects mothers and their fetuses and increases the probability of incidence of obstetrics complications.