ECT-Induced Premature Labor: A Case Report

Letter to the Editor

Sir: The pregnant patient with serious mental illness poses a therapeutic challenge. The clinician must weigh the risks of fetal exposure to psychiatric medications against the potential harm posed by untreated psychiatric disease. Alternatively, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is generally considered safe and effective for use during pregnancy, and guidelines have been formulated to reduce the risk of adverse effects. Although a number of case reports have described complications in pregnant women receiving ECT, it is not known whether these events were directly related to the treatment.