Reflections on Racism in Our Community
We are deeply troubled by the recent killings of Ahmed Aubrey, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and other Black Americans. These events bring into sharp focus the long-standing problems of racism, bias, and inequity in our country. As physicians and mental health care providers, we are committed, and morally obligated, to alleviate pain and suffering. The Center for Women’s Mental Health condemns racism in any form and is committed to promoting understanding [...]
Benzodiazepines and Risk of Ectopic Pregnancy
This is another situation where the headlines don't really tell us the full story: Benzodiazepine Use Linked to Risk for Ectopic Pregnancy. (But at least it prompted me to read the original article in its entirety.)    According to a recent study, risk for ectopic pregnancy may be elevated among women taking benzodiazepines before conception. Using data from a U.S. commercial insurance claims database, researchers examined a total of 1,691,366 pregnancies.   In [...]
Weekly Roundup for JUNE 12, 2020: Recent Publications in Women’s Mental Health
Every week we review the most recent publications in women’s mental health, covering topics related to premenstrual symptoms, perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, use of medications in pregnant and breastfeeding women, perinatal substance use, and menopausal mental health. For more detailed descriptions of many of these topics, you can sign up to receive our weekly CWMH NEWSLETTER which comes out every Thursday.   Ruta Nonacs, MD PhD    PMS [...]
Racial Disparities in Perinatal Depression Screening Addressed in Recent Study
Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) including prenatal depression (PND) and postpartum depression (PPD) can have a profound adverse impact on the well-being of mothers, newborns, and entire families. It is estimated that 20%-25% of women experience depressive symptoms during pregnancy or the postpartum period. To curtail rates and severity of PMADs, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), The American College of Nurse Midwives, the U.S. Preventive Services [...]
Increased Prevalence of Depression, Anxiety in Pregnant Women During the COVID Pandemic
In the Boston area, the number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 is steadily decreasing. This is obviously happy news and a long-awaited reason to celebrate; however, we continue to be concerned about the mental health of our patients, especially those who are pregnant. Even in the best of times, women who are pregnant or have young families are acutely aware of the enormous responsibility they carry in caring for their [...]
Pregnancy Outcomes in Women with Anorexia Nervosa
Current research on pregnancy outcomes in women with anorexia nervosa has yielded conflicting results. While some studies report an increased risk of cesarean delivery, miscarriage, preterm birth, and small-for-gestational age births in this population, others find no association. Many of the studies are limited by small sample size and do not account for severity of illness. In a recent study, researchers performed a retrospective cohort study including 2,134,945 pregnancies in Quebec, [...]