Use of Marijuana on the Rise in Pregnant Women
According to research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, there has been a significant increase in the use of marijuana among pregnant women over the last decade. Â Among all pregnant women, the prevalence of marijuana use (assessed in the past month) increased from 2.37% Â in 2002 to 3.85% in 2014 (prevalence ratio [PR], 1.62 [95% CI, 1.09-2.43]). Marijuana use was the highest in women aged 18 to 25 [...]
In Brief: Yoga as Add-on Therapy for Psychosis in Women With Schizophrenia
An increasing number of studies are using yoga as an adjunctive or primary treatment for a variety of psychiatric symptoms, most commonly depression, anxiety and sleep disturbance. Â A new study, published online in Schizophrenia Research, explores the use of yoga in women with psychosis. In this study, 124 women diagnosed within five years of onset of psychosis were randomized into three groups: integrated yoga therapy, aerobic exercise, and a wait-list conditions. [...]
Weekly Roundup for December 23, 2016: Recent Publications in Women’s Mental Health
This week we have a clinical feature article from the New England Journal of Medicine -- a clinically relevant review of postpartum depression from Donna Stewart and Simone Vigod. Â We will not have a roundup next week but we will see you in the new year. Â Best wishes for a Happy Holiday Season and a Healthy New Year! Ruta Nonacs, MD PhD Â Postpartum Depression. Stewart DE, Vigod S. Â N [...]
The US Opioid Epidemic: Â More US Infants Born With Drug Dependence
Over the last week, there have been quite a few articles in the press detailing the increase in opioid use in the United States, focusing the impact of this epidemic on infants and children. According to a study published this week in JAMA Pediatrics, researchers tracked newborns treated for opioid-related complications over the past 10 years and documented a dramatic increase in the number of newborns in the United States born [...]
PTSD Symptoms Common in Women After Miscarriage
Early pregnancy loss (EPL) is common, affecting up to 25% of pregnancies. Â Studies looking at the emotional consequences of miscarriage have shown that most women do well; however, some women experience clinically significant symptoms of depression and anxiety. Â In addition, at least one study has demonstrated that prior pregnancy loss is associated with higher levels of anxiety and depression in subsequent pregnancies. This was true regardless of the type of prior [...]
New Studies: How Maternal Depression Affects the Developing Brain
When a woman comes in for a consultation regarding the use of medications during pregnancy, we spend most of our time reviewing the potential risks of exposure to medications during pregnancy. Â However, we must also include a discussion of the effects of untreated psychiatric illness in the mother on the developing child, for there is a growing body of literature which demonstrates that what happens in utero, while the fetus is [...]