It’s OK to Throw Away Some of Those Baby Advice Books
When I meet with mothers of new babies, I often spend a fair amount of time delving into their beliefs about parenting and what they perceive as the “right” way to care for their new baby. Granted, most of the new mothers I see suffer from depression or anxiety, but I can also look to my family, friends, and colleagues to see that baby advice -- whether tips from well-meaning friends [...]
ADHD Medications in Pregnancy and Neonatal Outcomes
Analyzing data from the Swedish Medical Birth Register, the Prescribed Drug Register, and the Swedish Neonatal Quality Register, researchers compared infants exposed to ADHD medication during pregnancy with infants whose mothers never used these drugs and infants whose mothers used ADHD medication before or after (but not during) pregnancy. Out of 964,734 infants included in the analysis, 1,591 (0.2%) were exposed to ADHD medication during pregnancy. Exposure to ADHD medications [...]
Weekly Roundup for January 26, 2018: Recent Publications in Women’s Mental Health
In California, the recreational use of marijuana was legalized in 2017, but even before then, the use of marijuana has been increasing. A recent report (Young-Wolff et al, 2017) notes that in 2016, 7% of pregnant women tested positive for marijuana. Ruta Nonacs, MD PhD Trends in Self-reported and Biochemically Tested Marijuana Use Among Pregnant Females in California From 2009-2016. Young-Wolff KC, Tucker LY, Alexeeff S, Armstrong MA, Conway A, [...]
Use of ADHD Medications Increasing in Women of Reproductive Age
According to a report published by the CDC in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), the use of stimulant medications for the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by reproductive-age women is on the rise. Researchers analyzed data from the Truven Health MarketScan Commercial Database (2003–2015) to estimate the percentage of women aged 15–44 years with private insurance who filled prescriptions for ADHD medications. In 2003, 0.9% of women filled [...]
How Are We Doing: What Happens to Women Who Screen Positive for Postpartum Depression?
Postpartum depression (PPD) screening has been increasingly implemented not only in obstetric, but also in primary care and pediatric settings, over the past decade. While there is a growing appreciation for the prevalence of PPD and an understanding of the debilitating effects it can have if not treated, few studies have investigated the course of follow-up treatment for women once they screen positive for PPD. Researchers from the Indiana University [...]
Weekly Roundup for January 19, 2018: Recent Publications in Women’s Mental Health
More data on the reproductive safety of ADHD medications (Norby et al 2017), a study questioning the effectiveness of doxylamine-pyridoxine for nausea and vomiting during pregnancy (Persaud et al 2018), and a study documenting the strong association between adverse childhood events and risk for postpartum depression (Mahenge et al 2017). Ruta Nonacs, MD PhD Perinatal Outcomes After Treatment With ADHD Medication During Pregnancy. Nörby U, Winbladh B, Källén K. Pediatrics. [...]