Does Baby-Friendly Have to Be Mom-Unfriendly?
We’ve all heard it: Breast is Best. We all know what it means. And if you have had a baby at some point over the last ten years, you have been encouraged, and maybe even pressured, to breastfeed your baby. Breastfeeding has become the foundation of what it means to be a good mother, and when new mothers do not or are not able to exclusively breastfeed their baby, they often [...]
Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal) and Pregnancy: Do We Have Enough Information?
Last week in clinical rounds we discussed a case of a woman with bipolar disorder who was planning a pregnancy. She had a long history of illness, experiencing primarily depressive episodes since her early 20’s. The only mood stabilizer that seems to have worked for her has been oxcarbazepine (Trileptal) and she is currently taking 300 mg twice per day. Previous medication trials included lithium, lamotrigine, and carbamazepine. None of [...]
Weekly Roundup for June 2, 2017: Recent Publications in Women’s Mental Health
Sometimes a weekly roundup turns into a monthly roundup. Sorry about that. From the PACT Consortium, we have a study defining distinct subtypes of perinatal depression which differ in terms of severity and timing of onset. Clinical phenotypes of perinatal depression and time of symptom onset: analysis of data from an international consortium. Putnam KT, Wilcox M, Robertson-Blackmore E, Sharkey K, Bergink V, Munk-Olsen T, Deligiannidis KM, Payne J, Altemus M, [...]
Lamotrigine Reduces Risk for Postpartum Relapse in Women with Bipolar Disorder
Numerous studies have demonstrated that women with histories of bipolar disorder are at high risk for postpartum illness. Because of this increased risk for relapse during the postpartum period, we typically recommend that women with histories of bipolar disorder continue treatment with a mood stabilizer throughout the postpartum period. Historically, lithium has been the most commonly used mood stabilizer, and there is solid data to indicate that lithium initiated during pregnancy [...]
In Unsettling Times: How to Talk to Your Children About Traumatic Events
Earlier this week, a deadly explosion erupted at an arena in Manchester, England, where the American pop singer Ariana Grande was performing. One of the most horrifying aspects of the Manchester bombing is that this act of terrorism seemed to target women and children. Among the injured and dead are young women, children and teens, and parents waiting to pick up their children. The tragedy unfolded during what was supposed to [...]
Pilot Study of Telephone-Delivered Interpersonal Therapy for Women with Postpartum Depression
It is clear that screening for perinatal depression substantially improves detection; however, screening alone does not appear to improve rates of treatment or outcomes. What we find is that many, if not most, women with perinatal depression do not receive adequate care. There appear to be many obstacles: stigma associated with mental illness, lack of insurance coverage for mental health services, inability to find appropriately trained providers, inadequate child care. How [...]