Weekly Roundup for October 20, 2017: Recent Publications in Women’s Mental Health
The first two studies highlight the issues we face with regard to taking care of women with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Women who screen positive for postpartum depression often do not seek or are not able to access care. Thus, we must find innovative approaches to delivering treatment to this vulnerable population. Ruta Nonacs, MD PhD Follow-up of Mothers with Suspected Postpartum Depression from Pediatrics Clinics. Bauer NS, Ofner [...]
Auto-Caesarean Section: A Review of 22 Cases
An auto-Caesarean sections is a type of self-surgery in which a woman attempts to perform a Caesarean section on herself. Not only is this practice very rare, but also the cases in which it does occur have not been studied. In order to better understand this phenomenon, Szabo and Brockington conducted a review of the available literature to find cases of auto-Caesarean section with the intention of assessing both the situation [...]
Maternal Bipolar Disorder Not a Predictor of Infant Developmental Deficits at One Year of Age
While some women with bipolar disorder elect to discontinue their psychotropic medications during pregnancy to mitigate fetal exposure, Viguera and colleagues (2000, 2007) found that women stabilized on lithium face a significant risk for relapse if they choose to discontinue treatment during pregnancy. These treatment decisions are difficult and vary on a case-to-case basis, but currently few studies have compared the developmental trajectory for infants of bipolar mothers who either [...]
In Brief: Folate Supplements During Pregnancy Reduce Risk of Autism
Mothers exposed to household or agricultural pesticides immediately before and during their pregnancies have a higher risk of having a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, a recent study from California indicates that taking high-dose folic acid cuts this risk in half, as compared to women who received lower doses of folic acid. In this study, a high dose of folic acid was defined as ?800 ?g, the amount typically [...]
Weekly Roundup for October 6, 2017: Recent Publications in Women’s Mental Health
Some interesting articles this week: understanding the impact of anxiety disorders on pregnancy outcomes (Yonkers et al), impact of antenatal exposure to antidepressants during pregnancy on risk of subsequent psychiatric illness in the child (Liu et al), and a look at risk for substance abuse disorders during pregnancy ( Ruta Nonacs, MD PhD Rasmussen MH, Strøm M, Wohlfahrt J, Videbech P, Melbye M. Risk, treatment duration, and recurrence risk of postpartum [...]
What is the Risk of Postpartum Depression in Women with No Psychiatric History?
We know that about 15% of women suffer from postpartum depression (PPD). But what is less clear is how to reliably identify women with PPD and to then ensure that they get the support and treatment they need. Women with a history of psychiatric illness are often identified as being at higher risk for postpartum illness by their providers, and, because of their previous experiences with depression and/or anxiety, they may [...]