Perinatal Depression: How Do We Define High Risk? (Part 2)
Several weeks ago, the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) issued recommendations that all pregnant and postpartum women should be evaluated in order to determine risk for depressive illness and suggests that women at increased risk should be referred for counseling. Â The hope is that if we can identify the women at highest risk for depressive illness during pregnancy and the postpartum period, then we can introduce an opportunity to prevent [...]
FDA is Expected to Approve Brexanolone for the Treatment of Postpartum Depression
In 2015, we first reported on SAGE-547 (SAGE Therapeutics), a new medication for the treatment of postpartum depression (PPD). Â SAGE-547, now called brexanolone, is an allosteric modulator of GABAA receptors. Â Since that time, Sage Therapeutics has conducted three randomized controlled trials, enrolling a total of 247 women diagnosed with moderate to severe postpartum depression. It is expected that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will soon approve brexanolone as an intravenous [...]
Weekly Roundup for MARCH 8, 2019: Recent Publications in Women’s Mental Health
This week another study highlights the importance of prenatal vitamins in reducing the risk of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Â This study from Schmidt and colleagues focused on high-risk families. In these families, one child had already been diagnosed with ASD. Â The risk of having a child with ASD in subsequent children was cut in half in women who took prenatal vitamins during the first month of pregnancy. Â Prenatal vitamins must be [...]
Timing of Postpartum Depression Onset May Predict Symptom Pattern
Postpartum depression (PPD) is a common and complicated illness, affecting about 15% of women in the perinatal period. Recent research from the PACT consortium (Postpartum Depression: Action Toward Causes and Treatment) has sought to classify the many potential subtypes of this heterogenous illness and has found emerging differences in time of onset, severity, comorbid anxiety, and suicidal ideation. This previous research utilizing PACT data suggested that three distinct subtypes of PPD [...]
Weekly Roundup for MARCH 1, 2019: Recent Publications in Women’s Mental Health
This week there are a series of articles related to the recommendations issued by the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) several weeks ago, stating that all pregnant and postpartum women should be evaluated in order to determine risk for depressive illness and recommends that women at increased risk for perinatal depression should be referred for counseling. Â The second editorial from Dr. Lyndsay Avalos and colleagues looks at the USPSTF [...]
In Brief: Mom’s Social Network Benefits Baby’s Development
Women with postpartum depression often complain of social isolation, and multiple studies have documented that having inadequate social supports is a risk factor for postpartum depression.  A recent study suggests that increasing a mother’s social network may not only benefit the mother but it may also have benefits for her baby. In a recent study, researchers looked at data from 1,082 mother-child pairs.  Women answered questions about their family structure, friendships [...]