Lamotrigine and Pregnancy: New Study, No Significant Increase in Risk of Oral Clefts
The anticonvulsant lamotrigine (Lamictal) is being used with increasing regularity for the treatment of women with bipolar disorder. Â Back in 2006, we reported on preliminary data indicating an increased risk of oral clefts among infants exposed to lamotrigine during the first trimester of pregnancy. Â It has been a while since we reviewed the data regarding the reproductive safety of lamotrigine, so this seems like a good time to review the data [...]
Teen Mothers: How Can We Best Address Their Mental Health Needs?
 The Good News:  According to the CDC, rates of teen pregnancy are falling  In the United States, 249,078 babies were born to women aged 15–19 years in 2014.  This represents a historic low for births among U.S. teens, a drop of 9% from 2013. The Bad News:   Pregnant teens -- especially when they don't have the support of their families -- often do not receive adequate prenatal care and are [...]
Perinatal Depression Screening: New Recommendations and Challenges
The following post was first published in OB/GYN News. Please see our OB/GYN News archives here. It was almost a year ago that the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists came out unequivocally in favor of universal screening for perinatal depression. In the revised policy statement from ACOG’s Committee on Obstetric Practice, the college recommended that physicians screen women for depression and anxiety symptoms at least once during the perinatal period using a [...]
February 2016 Roundup: Recent Publications in Reproductive Psychiatry
This roundup is a bit late -- lots of publications on the list.  Stay tuned for the March Roundup.  Antenatal depression: Prevalence and risk factor patterns across the gestational period. Castro E Couto T, Cardoso MN, Brancaglion MY, Faria GC, Garcia FD, Nicolato R, Marques de Miranda D, Corrêa H. J Affect Disord. 2016 Mar 1;192:70-5.  Associations of Parental Depression With Child School Performance atAge 16 Years in Sweden. Shen H, Magnusson C, Rai D, Lundberg M, Lê-Scherban F, Dalman C, Lee BK. JAMA Psychiatry. 2016 Mar 1;73(3):239-46. [...]
In Brief: Women with Negative Childbirth Experience More Likely to Have Postpartum Anxiety
According to a recent study published in the Archives of Women’s Mental Health reports that women who have a negative perception of their childbirth are more likely to experience elevated symptoms of postpartum anxiety but not postpartum depression.  This study was carried out in the United Kingdom and was part of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Bell AF, Carter CS, Davis JM, Golding J, Adejumo O, Pyra M, Connelly JJ, [...]
Suicidal Thoughts in Women with Postpartum Depression
While suicide is not a common event among women with postpartum depression, suicide is one of the leading causes of death in postpartum women. Â Thus, being able to reliably identify risk factors for suicide is critical. Â A recent study has examined the association between suicidal ideation (SI) and potential risk factors (e.g. childhood abuse, abuse as an adult, sleep disturbance, and anxiety symptoms) in depressed postpartum women. The researchers analyzed data [...]