Severe Pregnancy Stress May Increase Schizophrenia Risk in Offspring
A study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry shows that children of women who experience the death of a close relative may have an increased risk of developing schizophrenia later in life. Â This study was conducted with records of children born in Denmark between 1973 and 1995, which were then linked to the central registry containing inpatient and outpatient treatment records. It consisted of 1.38 million individuals, including 21,978 children whose mothers experienced death of a close relative during the pregnancy, and 14,206 children of mothers who experienced illness of a close relative during the pregnancy.
Grapefruit Juice May Affect Drug Absorption
CYP3A4 is an intestinal enzyme that is part of the Cytochrome P450 metabolic system. It is important in many drug-drug and drug-food interactions, and it is one of the first enzymes to break down medications when they enter the body.
Maternal depression, in-home violence, and use of physical punishment
Parental use of physical punishment early in childhood may be associated with subsequent maladaptive behaviors such as child aggression and impaired social information processing. There are links between certain childhood behaviors and risk for parental use of physical punishment, although cause and effect are difficult to establish with these associations. Higher rates of physical punishment correlate with maternal depression and domestic violence.
Phytoestrogens and Menopause
For decades, estrogen was used as a component of hormone replacement therapy to treat menopausal symptoms and for anticipated preventative health benefits in women with prostesterone, or as a monotherapy hormone treatment in women after hysterectomy, but after studies reported that long-term estrogen increase the prevalence of cardiovascular events and breast cancer, many patients and researchers have looked into alternative treatments such as food or products containing phytoestrogens. Phytoestrogens are weak plant-derived estrogens that are structurally similar to estrogen hormones produced by the body.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Used to Treat Depression in Pregnancy
Mood disorders and symptoms during pregnancy and the postpartum period are not uncommon and affect women across the world. Â In spite of relatively high rates of depression among childbearing women, there are often inadequate resources for treatment, particularly in poorer countries. In countries lacking resources, health care is often managed by community health workers or individuals with basic health care training who provide care to difficult-to-reach populations. There are often few mental health professionals, leaving many women without adequate treatment. In an attempt to provide treatment to a greater number of women, some investigators are attempting to train community health workers to provide some psychotherapy as part of their standard duties.
Sildenafil (Viagra) Treatment of Women with Antidepressant-Associated Sexual Dysfunction
While some side effects such as nausea, dizziness, and headaches associated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants tend to decrease or resolve over time, other side effects such as sexual dysfunction rarely remit spontaneously. Treatment of sexual side effects in women is especially important when about 30-70% of patients taking antidepressants may experience sexual side effects, combined with the fact that women are prescribed antidepressants at rates of 2 to 1 when compared to men.