Using Text Messages to Identify Women with Postpartum Depression
Twenty years ago, when we started screening for postpartum depression at our hospital, an obstetrics nurse gave the new mother a questionnaire at the mother’s six week visit. If everything went as planned, the mother filled out the form, returned it to tne nurse, who gave it to us. We tallied up the scores, and, if the woman had a score suggestive of depression, we would call her up in order [...]
Weekly Roundup for OCTOBER 18, 2019: Recent Publications in Women’s Mental Health
While the use of lithium has been in decline over the last 20 years, lithium continues to be a useful and highly effective mood stabilizer for women with bipolar disorder. We have long been aware of its teratogenic effects, with some, but not all, studies documenting an increased risk of cardiovascular malformations. A new study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry conducts a systematic review and meta-analysis to look at [...]
Neurokinin Receptor Antagonists for the Treatment of Menopausal Symptoms
About 80% of women experience vasomotor symptoms (VMS) – hot flashes and night sweats — as they transition into the menopause phase. For most, the symptoms are manageable, but for a sizeable subset of midlife women, these symptoms can negatively affect sleep, mood, and quality of life. While clinical guidelines suggest that menopausal vasomotor symptoms (VMS) typically last from 6 months to 2 years, new research suggests that for many women, [...]
Weekly Roundup for OCTOBER 11, 2019: Recent Publications in Women’s Mental Health
Most women experience a spectrum of symptoms as they transition into the menopause. These symptoms may be mild, but many women experience significant symptoms which persist and affect functioning over many years. Given concerns regarding the long term use of hormone replacement therapy, many women are reluctant to pursue hormonal treatments to manage their symptoms. Gabapentin and serotonergic antidepressants have been helpful for managing vasomotor symptoms; however, options for the management [...]
Antidepressants and Gestational Diabetes: Maybe, but Not for Commonly Used SSRIs
A recent study looks at the risk for gestational diabetes in women taking antidepressants during pregnancy. In this study from Quebec, women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) diagnosed after the 20th week of pregnancy were identified. A group of controls, matched for gestational age at the time of GDM diagnosis and the year of pregnancy, was chosen. Antidepressant (AD) exposure was defined as filling at least one AD prescription between [...]
Iron-Deficiency Anemia During Pregnancy Affects Child’s Brain Development
We often talk about the importance of planning for pregnancy. In these discussions, we emphasize the importance of supplementation with folic acid as a means of decreasing risk for birth defects and improving neurodevelopmental outcomes in children. A recent study indicates that adequate levels of iron may also play an important role in fetal brain development and that children born to mothers with anemia during pregnancy may have worse neurodevelopmental [...]