Quetiapine

(Date: November 2022. Version: 4)

This factsheet has been written for members of the public by the UK Teratology Information Service (UKTIS). UKTIS is a not-for-profit organisation funded by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) on behalf of UK Health Departments. UKTIS has been providing scientific information to health care providers since 1983 on the effects that medicines, recreational drugs and chemicals may have on the developing baby during pregnancy.

Quick read

Quetiapine can be used in pregnancy if it is needed to ensure a woman remains well.

What is it?

Quetiapine (Seroquel®, Atrolak®, Biquelle®, Brancico®, Mintreleq®, Sondate®, Zaluron®) is used to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression.

What are the benefits of taking quetiapine in pregnancy?

Quetiapine stabilises mood and improves feelings of wellbeing. It is very important that mental health conditions are appropriately treated to ensure a woman is well during pregnancy and while looking after her baby.

Are there any risks of taking quetiapine during pregnancy?

There is no evidence that use of quetiapine in pregnancy causes birth defects, preterm birth, or low infant birth weight. While the evidence for other pregnancy outcomes is also reassuring overall, only small numbers of women have been studied and ongoing data collection is ideally required.

Quetiapine and similar medicines have been linked to increased risks of gestational diabetes and having a larger baby.

Quetiapine can potentially cause short-term withdrawal symptoms in the newborn baby if taken in the weeks before delivery. For this reason, a baby may be monitored for some time after birth to check for symptoms such as jitteriness, difficulty sleeping and breathing problems.

Are there any alternatives to taking quetiapine?

Possibly. Other medicines can be used to treat mental health conditions, so switching may be an option. If a woman’s condition is well-controlled with quetiapine, it may be best to stay on it rather than try something new and risk a relapse.

Ideally, a woman planning a pregnancy should speak to her GP or specialist to determine whether quetiapine is still the best option. Similarly, women who have an unplanned pregnancy while taking quetiapine should be reviewed at the earliest opportunity by their GP or specialist.

What if I prefer not to take medicines during pregnancy?

It is very important that mental health conditions are well-controlled during pregnancy. Discontinuing medication can cause symptoms to return and stopping suddenly can cause withdrawal symptoms.

A medicine will only be prescribed during pregnancy if absolutely necessary, and a doctor or specialist will be happy to discuss the benefits and any risks.

Please do not stop quetiapine without speaking to your midwife, GP or specialist.

Will I or my baby need extra monitoring?

All pregnant women in the UK should be offered a detailed anomaly scan at around 20 weeks of pregnancy as part of their routine antenatal care. No extra monitoring for major birth defects is required following quetiapine use in pregnancy.

Because use of quetiapine in pregnancy may increase the chance of gestational diabetes and having a larger baby, extra blood sugar monitoring and growth scans may be offered.

Are there any risks to my baby if the father has taken quetiapine?

We would not expect any increased risk to the baby if the father took quetiapine before or around the time you became pregnant.

Who can I talk to if I have questions?

If you have any questions regarding the information in this leaflet please discuss them with your health care provider. They can access more detailed medical and scientific information from www.uktis.org

How can I help to improve drug safety information for pregnant women in the future?

Our online reporting system allows women with a current or previous pregnancy to create a digitally secure ‘my bumps record’. You will be asked to enter information about your health, whether or not you take any medicines, and your pregnancy outcome. You can update your details at any time during pregnancy or afterwards. This information will help us better understand how medicines affect the health of pregnant women and their babies. Please visit https://www.medicinesinpregnancy.org/Login/ to register.

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General information 

Up to 1 out of every 5 pregnancies ends in a miscarriage, and 1 in 40 babies are born with a birth defect. These are referred to as the background population risks.  They describe the chance of these events happening for any pregnancy before taking factors such as the mother’s health during pregnancy, her lifestyle, medicines she takes and the genetic make up of her and the baby’s father into account.

Medicines use in pregnancy

Most medicines used by the mother will cross the placenta and reach the baby. Sometimes this may have beneficial effects for the baby.  There are, however, some medicines that can harm a baby’s normal development.  How a medicine affects a baby may depend on the stage of pregnancy when the medicine is taken. If you are on regular medication you should discuss these effects with your doctor/health care team before becoming pregnant.

If a new medicine is suggested for you during pregnancy, please ensure the doctor or health care professional treating you is aware of your pregnancy.

When deciding whether or not to use a medicine in pregnancy you need to weigh up how the medicine might improve your and/or your unborn baby’s health against any possible problems that the drug may cause. Our bumps leaflets are written to provide you with a summary of what is known about use of a specific medicine in pregnancy so that you can decide together with your health care provider what is best for you and your baby.   

Every pregnancy is unique. The decision to start, stop, continue or change a prescribed medicine before or during pregnancy should be made in consultation with your health care provider. It is very helpful if you can record all your medication taken in pregnancy in your hand held maternity records.

   

www.medicinesinpregnancy.org

Disclaimer: This information is not intended to replace the individual care and advice of your health care provider. New information is continually becoming available. Whilst every effort will be made to ensure that this information is accurate and up to date at the time of publication, we cannot cover every eventuality and the information providers cannot be held responsible for any adverse outcomes following decisions made on the basis of this information. We strongly advise that printouts should NOT be kept for any length of time, or for “future reference” as they can rapidly become out of date.

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