In Brief: Maybe Breastfeeding Doesn’t Boost IQ
Over the years, various studies have demonstrated the many advantages of breastfeeding, findings that have led the American Academy of Pediatrics to recommend that all mothers breastfeed their children for the first year of the child’s life. Several studies have also examined the relationship between breastfeeding and intellectual development in younger children and have demonstrated better cognitive functioning in children who were breastfed. The extent to which breastfeeding during infancy has [...]
Perinatal Depression in Fathers: Who is At Greatest Risk?
While perinatal depression is typically considered to be a woman’s illness, a number of studies have suggested that, although men do not experience any of the dramatic physiologic or hormonal changes that go along with pregnancy and the postpartum period, new fathers may also experience perinatal depression. In a cohort study of 3523 new fathers from New Zealand, 2.3% of the men experienced antenatal depressive symptoms, scoring higher than 12 on [...]
Weekly Roundup for MARCH 31, 2017: Recent Publications in Women’s Mental Health
At the top of the list is an article about brexanolone, a derivative of allopregnanolone, which in a small pilot study was effective for the treatment of postpartum depression. Also interesting are two articles which discuss perinatal anxiety (from Dennis and colleagues); both of these studies indicate that anxiety is just as common as depression during the perinatal period. Ruta Nonacs, MD PhD Open-label, proof-of-concept study of brexanolone in [...]
Do DHA Supplements Make Babies Smarter? Yes, No, Maybe…
DHA or docosahexaenoic acid is an omega-3 fatty acid which is essential for the growth and development of the brain in infants and is required for maintenance of normal brain function in adults. Based on the importance of this nutrient, most infant formulas now contain DHA. While infants can make DHA from other ("essential") fatty acids in their diet, including fatty acids in infant formulas, some studies suggest that some infants, [...]
The Effects of Marijuana on Fetal Development
Given that many states have or are now moving forward with the legalization of medical and recreational marijuana, it should be no surprise that we are seeing an increasing number of women in our clinic who are using marijuana on a regular basis. According to a nationwide survey, 7.3% of Americans 12 or older regularly used marijuana in 2012, up from 5.8% of Americans in 2007. Among younger and socioeconomically disadvantaged [...]
Perinatal Depression Screening Is Just The Start
The following post was first published in OB/GYN News. Please see our OB/GYN News archives here. Publish date: March 3, 2017 Over the last decade, appreciation of the prevalence of perinatal depression – depression during pregnancy and/or the postpartum period – along with interest and willingness to diagnose and to treat these disorders across primary care, obstetric, and psychiatric clinical settings – has grown. The passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010 [...]