Report Recommends Pregnant Women Consider Therapy Before Drugs for Depression

Wall St. Journal: For Moms, Therapy Beats Drugs, by Shirley Wang:

Pregnant women suffering from depression should consider psychotherapy before taking antidepressant medications, according to the first comprehensive treatment recommendations issued on the subject.

But the risk of the mother's untreated depression to the unborn child also should be taken into account in making the decision, said the report from the American Psychiatric Association and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Depressed expectant mothers may experience more stress and take care of themselves more poorly than women without depression, which can affect the development of their unborn children. . . .