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. Â One of the most horrifying aspects of the Manchester bombing is that this act of terrorism seemed to target women and children. Â Among the injured and dead are young women, children and teens, and parents waiting to pick up their children. Â 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. Â What we find is that many, if not most, women with perinatal depression do not receive adequate care. Â 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. Â How [...]
Why Are We Still Using Valproic Acid (Depakote) in Women of Childbearing Age?
 There have long been concerns regarding the use of the anticonvulsant valproate (Depakote) during pregnancy.  First trimester use of valproate has been associated with a 3-5% risk of neural tube defects, as well as an increased risk of other malformations affecting the heart, limbs, and genitals. Prenatal exposure to valproate may also result in lower IQ and increased risk of autism spectrum disorders in the offspring.  Despite these significant risks, [...]
Ovarian Suppression for PMDD: New Study Suggests Long-Term Effectiveness and Tolerability
PMDD or premenstrual dysphoric disorder has always been a bit of mystery. Â We explain that PMDD is triggered by changes in reproductive hormone levels, but when you look at hormone levels in women with PMDD, they do not differ significantly from the hormone levels of women without PMDD. Â Another question is why some women develop PMDD later in their reproductive lives. Â PMDD most commonly has its onset not at menarche but [...]
In Brief: High Rates of Marijuana Use in Pregnant Teens
According to data from the 2002-2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the prevalence of marijuana use was 3.8% in pregnant women (n=14,400), compared to 7.5% in nonpregnant women (n=395,600). Â Â The investigators observed that marijuana use was higher in the first trimester (6.4%) than in the second (3.3%) or third (1.8%) trimesters. Â Marijuana use was higher in pregnant black women (6.5%) than in white (3.8%) or Hispanic women(2.9%) or women [...]
Brexanolone: Related to Allopregnanolone, Effective for the Treatment of Postpartum Depression
In 2015, we first reported on SAGE-547 (SAGE Therapeutics), a new medication for the treatment of severe postpartum depression. Â SAGE-547, now called brexanolone, is an allosteric modulator of GABAA receptors. Â This drug was initially under investigation for the treatment of refractory seizure disorders but it turned out to be a good antidepressant. Â The information we presented in 2015 was from a press release put out by Sage Therapeutics; their findings were [...]