Weekly Roundup for June 30, 2017: Recent Publications in Women’s Mental Health
Happy Fourth of July! This week there are several articles on the use of antipsychotics during pregnancy (Tosato et al and Park et al). The highlight of this week is an article from Man and colleagues which did not show an association between prenatal antidepressant exposure and risk for ADHD in children. A Systematized Review of Atypical Antipsychotics in Pregnant Women: Balancing Between Risks of Untreated Illness and Risks of [...]
Perinatal Depression: Can We Predict Who is At Risk for Suicide?
It is estimated that suicide accounts for about 10% of all maternal deaths. While we have a fair amount of information to help us predict which women are at risk for depression during pregnancy and the postpartum period, few studies have identified risk factors for suicide in this vulnerable population. Suicidal ideation is fairly common among pregnant and postpartum women. According to a recent study in which a total of 22,118 [...]
Does Universal Screening for Depression in Perinatal Populations Lead to Better Outcomes?
Over the last decade, there has been increased interest around the country in establishing consistent screening for perinatal depression across a range of clinical settings. Approximately 40 states have instituted guidelines and recommendations regarding screening for postpartum depression. These positive developments, in part, follow recommendations from both the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists to move toward routine screening for depression, particularly among vulnerable [...]
New Study at the CWMH: Brexanolone (SAGE-547) for Postpartum Depression
In 2015, we first reported on SAGE-547 (SAGE Therapeutics), a new medication for the treatment of severe postpartum depression. SAGE-547, now called brexanolone, is a new type of antidepressant: a formulation of allopregnanolone, which is an endogenous, naturally occurring neuroactive steroid and a metabolite of progesterone. Data from the most recent study of brexanolone was just published in Lancet. This was a Phase 2 clinical trial of SAGE-547 for the [...]
In Brief: Problem-Solving Education Intervention Reduces Risk of Postpartum Depression
While many women are at risk for postpartum depression, we continue to struggle in providing adequate support and care to women in this setting, especially socioeconomically disadvantaged women. In a randomized clinical trial including 230 Head Start mothers, those receiving problem-solving education (PSE) were 60% less likely to develop postpartum depression than those receiving standard care. One of the most exciting aspects of these findings is the simplicity of this [...]
New Research from the CWMH: Lithium During Pregnancy and Risk of Cardiovascular Malformations
While we use lithium less commonly now than we have in the past, lithium is still one of the very best mood stabilizers we have. And with regard to its reproductive safety, we have studies going back nearly 50 years. In the 1970s, reports from the International Register of Lithium Babies suggested a very strong association between exposure to maternal lithium treatment during pregnancy and Ebstein's anomaly, a right [...]