Outcomes for pregnant women with Borderline Personality Disorder who attended a specialist antenatal service

Abstract

Objective Our study focussed on the obstetric and psychosocial outcomes of pregnant women with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) who received care via a specialist antenatal clinic in Western Australia. Method This study is a retrospective examination of outcomes for 80 women with a confirmed diagnosis of BPD, with findings compared with published population outcome data for the state. Results Pregnant women with BPD appeared to be at a risk of complications including pre-eclampsia and special care nursery admission for their newborns when compared to population data. Furthermore, the studied women had elevated rates of psychiatric admissions during pregnancy, child protection involvement, and domestic violence. Polypharmacy exposure was frequent, with the likely impact on obstetric and neonatal outcomes requiring further study. Conclusion The findings reinforced the notion that pregnant women with BPD experience complex multifaceted vulnerabilities and require enhanced multidisciplinary care. Our study further calls for the development of clinical practice guidelines for managing BPD in the perinatal period.