Postpartum depression: Moving toward improved screening with a new app
The following post was first published in OB/GYN News. Please see our OB/GYN News archives here. Publish date: November 22, 2017 Over the last several years, there’s been increasing interest and ultimately a growing number of mandates across dozens of states to screen women for postpartum depression (PPD). As PPD is the most common, and often devastating, complication in modern obstetrics, screening for it is a movement that I fully support. What’s been challenging [...]
In Brief: Night Sweats? Hot Flashes? Try Yoga
Yoga is frequently recommended as a treatment for menopause-related symptoms, including vasomotor symptoms and sleep disturbance; however, studies regarding its effectiveness have yielded mixed results. In a recent meta-anlsyis, researchers analyzed data from 13 randomized controlled trials with a total of 1306 participants. Compared with no treatment, yoga reduced total menopausal symptoms, and specifically led to improvements in psychological, somatic, vasomotor, and urogenital symptoms. With regard to other forms of exercise, [...]
Probiotics for Postpartum Depression? Not There Yet
The role of the gut microbiome in mood disorders is an emerging, fascinating field in neuroscience and medicine. Numerous studies have shown that the gut microbiota (colonies of both “good” and “bad” bacteria living in the gastrointestinal tract) are important in normal brain function. Furthermore, the status of this bacterial population can activate central nervous system signaling and neural pathways including the immune system, neuroendocrine, and hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis [...]
Weekly Roundup for January 12, 2018: Recent Publications in Women’s Mental Health
The two most important articles of late present the results of two studies (Levine et al 2018, Bjork et al 2018) demonstrating that periconceptual use of folic acid reduces the risk of having a child with autism or autistic traits. The first study assessed risk in all women; the second focused on the risk in women taking antiepileptic drugs. Also interesting is the study from Gordon and colleagues which observed that [...]
In Brief: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Improves Sleep in Perimenopausal Women
Peri- and post-menopausal women frequently complain of insomnia or poor sleep quality. Sleep disturbance is often attributed to nocturnal hot flashes; however, a sizeable proportion of menopausal women may have a primary sleep disorder. As part of the Menopause Strategies: Finding Lasting Answers for Symptoms and Health network (MS-FLASH), randomized clinical trials (RCTs) were used to measure the impact of six interventions on insomnia symptoms in women with vasomotor symptoms (VMS). [...]
Higher Doses of Topiramate (Topamax) During Pregnancy, Increased Risk of Oral Clefts
Topiramate (TPM, marketed as Topamax) is an antiepileptic drug which is also used for migraine prophylaxis, weight loss, and, less commonly, as a mood stabilizer. Over the last few years we have seen several studies suggesting an increased risk of oral clefts in infants exposed to topiramate during the first trimester of pregnancy. A large study including 2,425 infants with prenatal exposure to topiramate has confirmed these earlier findings. Using [...]