Lithium Use During Pregnancy in 14 Countries

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2828074?utm_term=121624&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_medium=referral&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--2UWQGlbaiYTlzuW1xWspqEjPt1DljhFgi8UpQCdelJSS4wP4ecXncBLMSY3iphPLJwACQebzDlynVd46uND5cvFpomA&_hsmi=338888776&utm_source=For_The_Media Should people on lithium keep taking it during pregnancy? For people with bipolar disorder or other psychiatric conditions, lithium can serve as critical treatment. But upon getting pregnant, they must weigh the benefits of the drug against its potential risks. Across the world, the proportion of people who do continue their prescriptions during pregnancy varies wildly depending on where they live, according to a study published yesterday in JAMA Network Open. Over more than two decades, about 2% of people in South Korea who took lithium before getting pregnant were still taking it in the second trimester. In Denmark, that proportion was 80%. The study used data from more than 21 million pregnancies in 14 countries, including the U.S., between 2000 and 2023. In 10 populations, use of the drug during pregnancy increased over that time period. Overall rates of lithium use ranged from 0.07 per 1,000 pregnancies (in Hong Kong) to 1.56 per 1,000 (among those publicly insured in the U.S.). The authors recommend the development of “internationally harmonized guidelines” to help people better navigate medical decisions during pregnancy.