Omega-3 fatty acids not appropriate for for depression during pregnancy
June 27, 2008 by Marijke Durning, RN
Filed under Women's Health
With clinical depression finally getting some recognition of being a true problem that can respond to treatment, the issue of treating depression during pregnancy has become an issue. Women who have depression and who want to become pregnant may be worried about how to manage without harming their unborn child.
One approach is to use omega-3 fatty acids to manage depression, however this article, Using Omega-3 Fatty Acids to Treat Depression During Pregnancy, is saying that this is not a good idea: “Based on these uncertainties, arbitrarily using omega-3 fatty acids during pregnancy instead of an established treatment for depression may represent a failed risk-benefit decision, exposing a pregnant woman to an increased risk for relapse.”
There is also very little reproductive safety data available for omega-3 fatty acids, which means that we don’t know if it is safe for the baby.
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