Should Pregnant Women Continue Taking ADHD Medications?

Should Pregnant Women Continue Taking ADHD Medications?
(Photo: Pexels/Alex Green)

ADHD is becoming more common among pregnant women. A group of researchers examined whether stopping ADHD medications would do good for expectant moms.

ADHD Medication During Pregnancy

There is a mixed opinion concerning taking ADHD medications during pregnancy. Existing recommendations suggest that pregnant women should stop taking the drugs when they are expecting, but a new study seemingly suggests otherwise.

A new observational study examined a cohort of 1,688 women who gave birth in Western Australia between 2003 and 2018. It used data initially gathered for different objectives. It did not examine cause and effect.

The participating pregnant women made their own decisions about when and whether to stop taking the medication. These decisions might be compared with data on the outcomes of their pregnancies to look for any patterns.

Compared to women who continued taking the medicine throughout their pregnancy, the 297 who stopped using it before the end of their second trimester had a 2.28-fold increased risk of experiencing threatened abortion, which is defined as mild to moderate bleeding within the first 20 weeks of pregnancy.

The researchers conclude that more research is necessary because of the small sample size and the need for more information in the data.

However, given the significant risk, it is probably safer to take ADHD medication continuously during pregnancy.

In terms of knowing when to stop taking the drug, it is never too late. Those with ADHD who are preparing for a pregnancy may wish to think about the potential advantages of quitting the medication in advance of conception.

There were some advantages for a group of 844 women with ADHD who took dexamphetamine before getting pregnant but stopped before giving birth compared to those who took the drug the entire time. The advantages included a decreased risk of adverse pregnancy-related health outcomes, such as preeclampsia, hypertension, postpartum hemorrhage, admission to the neonatal critical care unit, and fetal distress. The effects of beginning dexamphetamine midway through pregnancy were not covered in the study.

ALSO READ: Human Gestation Period: How Many Weeks Does It Take for a Full-Term Pregnancy?

How to Spot Autism Signs During Pregnancy?

Autism is usually detected much later than two years of age, but it can be occasionally detected sooner. A 2022 study found that a routine second-trimester ultrasound can detect early signs of autism during pregnancy in addition to heart, brain, and kidney issues. These deformities were seen in 30% of fetuses who were later diagnosed with ASD, which is three times more frequently than with typical babies.

Additionally, there are rare instances in which prenatal genetic testing can determine if a fetus is at risk for autism; still, these tests are not widely available in the United States. The tests are not only somewhat inconclusive, but they also pose moral and ethical dilemmas.

For instance, a 2020 Taiwanese parent survey found that 67% of parents wanted prenatal genetic testing for ASD and that more than half of parents would terminate a pregnancy if the illness were probable.

There is a link between autism and certain pregnancy-related characteristics that have been found in numerous large-scale, well-researched studies, and these findings have been confirmed in additional investigations. So, these factors are genuine, even though they only slightly raise the risk of autism.

Reducing the following hazards will reportedly help lower your chances of having an autistic child: