Bipolar disorder during pregnancy: Lessons learned
May 1, 2019 from ObGynNews Publish date: May 1, 2019 By Lee S. Cohen, MD Careful management of bipolar disorder during pregnancy is critical because for so many patients with this illness, the road to emotional well-being has been a long one, requiring a combination of careful pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic strategies.Half of referrals to our Center for Women’s Mental Health – where we evaluate and treat women before, during, and after pregnancy [...]
Nearly 12% of Women Report Consuming Alcohol During Pregnancy
While different countries may have different attitudes toward the consumption of alcohol during pregnancy, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has taken a firm stand against the use of alcohol during pregnancy. In the report entitled “Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders,” the AAP identified prenatal exposure to alcohol as the leading preventable cause of birth defects and intellectual and neurodevelopmental disabilities in children, stating that no amount of alcohol should be considered [...]
In Brief: Treating Pregnant Women with Opioid Addiction
According to a recent analysis of national data by the Centers for Disease Control, the number of pregnant women with opioid use disorder (as documented at the time of delivery) more than quadrupled from 1999 through 2014. Studies of opioid exposure in pregnancy suggest increased risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes, neonatal abstinence syndrome, and birth defects (including neural tube defects and congenital heart defects). Birth defects result from exposures which occur [...]
Weekly Roundup for APRIL 25, 2019: Recent Publications in Women’s Mental Health
At the top of the list is our most recent review on the reproductive safety of psychotropic medications. Molenaar and colleagues look at the incidence of perinatal depression in women with pregravid histories of major depression, noting that the women at greatest risk are those with early onset of psychiatric illness and those with psychiatric comorbidity. While many studies have demonstrated that perinatal depression may be associated with worse developmental outcomes [...]
Perinatal Anxiety Disorders: What is the Best Screening Tool?
There is a growing body of literature which indicates that anxiety symptoms are common during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Anxiety during pregnancy places the woman at greater risk for postpartum depression and may also affect pregnancy outcomes. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) now recommends that clinicians screen women at least once during the perinatal period for depression and anxiety using a standardized, validated tool. But what is [...]
Clinical Update (2019): Is Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal) Safe to Use During Pregnancy?
We don’t hear this clinical question so often but it does come up from time to time. While the anticonvulsant oxcarbazepine (Trileptal) was initially promoted as a mood stabilizer for patients with bipolar disorder, it is not widely used in this setting, which may stem from the limited data supporting its efficacy in this patient population. However, we do see women who are taking this oxcarbazepine and ask about the reproductive [...]