Exposure to Postpartum Depression Leads to Changes in Children’s Brain Development
Neuroimaging studies over the last few years have demonstrated that exposure to maternal depression can lead to changes in the architecture of the child’s brain, changes which may persist into adulthood and are associated with disruptions in cognitive development. Less clear is how the timing of exposure may modulate the effects of maternal depression on the developing brain. Many, but not all studies, have shown that postpartum depression, as well as depression during pregnancy, may...
Weekly Roundup for JUNE 21, 2019: Recent Publications in Women’s Mental Health
This week’s roundup features a slight variation on our weekly roundup. Rather than having to plow through a long list of articles, they are now separated into categories. We are all inundated with information these days; hopefully this will help to streamline your approach to what is now a burgeoning subspecialty. Of note, the new treatment for postpartum depression -- brexanolone, to be marketed as Zulresso by Sage Therapeutics -- is due out this...
Lower Physical Strength in Midlife Women Associated with Higher Risk for Depression and Anxiety
Previous studies have shown that women with poor physical health are more likely to suffer from depression during the perimenopause and menopause. A new study demonstrates that in healthy women, there is also a correlation between physical health and mental well-being. This study focused on upper body and lower body strength in a group of healthy women aged 45 to 69 years seen for routine gynecologic care. Of the 1,159 women evaluated (mean age 56.3...
Smoking During Pregnancy and Risk for ADHD in Children
Previous studies have demonstrated that children born to mothers who smoke during pregnancy are at increased risk for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In a recent review, Huang and colleagues looked at data from 15 cohort studies and 5 case-control studies which included a total of 50,044 children with ADHD and 2,998,059 controls. Maternal smoking during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of ADHD in the exposed offspring (OR: 1.60; 95% CI: 1.45-1.76). The risk of...
Weekly Roundup for MAY 31, 2019: Recent Publications in Women’s Mental Health
Several articles on the list look at the impact of maternal depression on children’s development. While previous studies have focused on the impact of postpartum depression, O’Leary and colleagues focus on the impact of depression occurring during pregnancy (antenatal depression). Even after controlling for depressive symptoms after delivery, depression during pregnancy was associated with worse motor development at 6 months. Depression during pregnancy was also associated with lower language scores at 12 months; however, this...
Benzodiazepine During Early Pregnancy and Risk of Miscarriage
Many women who come to our clinic with questions regarding the use of medications during pregnancy suffer from some type of anxiety disorder. Most of those women benefit from treatment with an SSRI or SNRI antidepressant; however, there are a significant number of women who either do not experience complete symptom resolution with or cannot tolerate these medications and, thus, also receive treatment with a benzodiazepine. The benzodiazepines are a class of anti-anxiety medications which...