Adverse effects lithium with regards to pregnancy

The issue of dysmorphogenesis is not settled. The use of lithium during pregnancy is thought to increase the incidence of congenital cardiac anomalies (Ebstein’s anomaly). Recent analyses suggest that the teratogenic risk is low, but in pregnancy it appears to contribute to low Apgar scores in the neonate. Consequently, lithium should be withheld 24–48 h before delivery, and its use is contraindicated in nursing mothers.