Is BDNF a Biomarker for Depression During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period?
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a growth factor which acts on neurons in both the central and peripheral nervous systems, promoting the survival of neurons and promoting the growth and differentiation of new neurons and synapses.  In the brain, it is most active in the hippocampus, cortex, and basal forebrain—areas important  to learning, memory, and higher executive functioning.  In animal models it has been shown that exposure to stress, and [...]
Pregnancy Termination Does Not Affect Women’s Long-term Mental Health or Well-Being
The US Surgeon General made the recommendation in 1989 that a five-year longitudinal cohort study was necessary to provide data about the health effects of an elective termination on women. To rise to this challenge, the Turnaway Study was launched at the University of California, San Francisco Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health. This prospective, longitudinal study recruited women from 30 abortion facilities in 21 states from 2008 to 2010 with [...]
Postpartum Depression in Women with No History of Psychiatric Illness
Most studies observe that about 15% of women experience postpartum depression (PPD). Â For the majority of women who present with postpartum depression, the postpartum episode is not the first ever episode of depression and instead represents a recurrence. Â These women report a pattern of recurrent depressive illness consisting of both puerperal and nonpuerperal episodes. Â But women with PPD are a heterogeneous population. A smaller number of women with PPD experience [...]
USPSTF Emphasizes Periconceptual Use of Folic Acid to Prevent Birth Defects
Neural tube defects are among the most common major congenital anomalies in the United States and are associated with significant disability and death.  The risk of neural tube defects can be prevented with daily folic acid supplementation in the periconceptional period.  However, most women do not receive the recommended daily intake of folate.  January 5–11 is national Folic Acid Awareness Week, a time when we remind all women of childbearing age [...]
Goodbye 2016: The Year in Review
Happy New Year! It is that time of the year again when we take the time to look back and review the previous year. Â Probably the most striking thing I see is the sheer volume of articles published in the field of reproductive psychiatry. Â This means that it has been a great year for our website as well, with over 1.2 million visits. Â Thanks to all of our readers! Ruta [...]
The 50-year Quest for Better Pregnancy Data
The following post was first published in OB/GYN News. Please see our OB/GYN News archives here. Publish date: November 1, 2016 By: Gerald G. Briggs, BPharm, FCCP, Christina Chambers, PhD, MPH, Lee S. Cohen, MD, & Gideon Koren, MD Editor’s note: As Ob.Gyn. News celebrates its 50th anniversary, we wanted to know how far the medical community has come in identifying and mitigating drug risks during pregnancy and in the postpartum period. In this article, our four expert [...]