March, 2015 - MGH Center for Women's Mental Health

You Asked: Is It Safe to Take Melatonin During Pregnancy?

Many women experience some degree of sleep disturbance during pregnancy. For a significant number of women, the sleep disruption may be so severe as to require some type of intervention. In a previous post, we discussed the use of different types of medications to treat insomnia during pregnancy. While these drugs are highly effective, many women with sleep problems inquire about the use of “natural” agents, such as melatonin, during pregnancy.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2021-09-13T08:39:24-04:00March 30th, 2015|Psychiatric Disorders During Pregnancy, You Asked|8 Comments

Low Vitamin D Levels Linked to Depression in Young Women

Vitamin D deficiency is more common than ever, and many experts are concerned that this deficiency may lead to a wide variety of health problems, including depression.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-04-01T10:21:14-04:00March 26th, 2015|Postpartum Psychiatric Disorders, Psychiatric Disorders During Pregnancy|0 Comments

You Asked: Should Lamotrigine (Lamictal) Dose Be Adjusted During Pregnancy?

For many women with bipolar disorder, lamotrigine (Lamictal) is an effective mood stabilizer. Given its relatively favorable reproductive safety profile, lamotrigine is a reasonable option for women who require treatment with a mood stabilizer during pregnancy.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2021-09-13T08:40:04-04:00March 25th, 2015|Antiepileptic Drugs, Psychiatric Disorders During Pregnancy, You Asked|0 Comments

Does Caffeine Make Menopausal Symptoms Worse?

Studies evaluating the relationship of caffeine to vasomotor symptoms have yielded conflicting results.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-03-24T10:54:03-04:00March 24th, 2015|Menopausal Symptoms|0 Comments

Abuse as a Risk Factor for Perinatal Depression

Two recent reports explore the relationship between abuse and risk for perinatal depression. The first is a study which analyzed data from 53,065 pregnant women participating in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). [...]

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-07-07T11:30:43-04:00March 16th, 2015|Postpartum Psychiatric Disorders, Psychiatric Disorders During Pregnancy|0 Comments

What is S-Equol? Does It Really Work for Menopausal Symptoms?

Approximately 70% of all women experience hot flashes and/or night sweats (also called vasomotor symptoms or VMS) during the menopause transition. Although estrogen-containing hormone therapy is highly effective in managing these symptoms, various studies have raised concerns regarding the risks associated with prolonged use of hormone therapy and many women now use other non-hormonal options to manage their symptoms, including over-the-counter complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs), including soy isoflavones, black cohosh, and omega-3 fatty acids. However, the data regarding the effectiveness of these alternative treatments has been mixed.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-03-13T12:29:59-04:00March 13th, 2015|Menopausal Symptoms|0 Comments

Hormone Replacement Therapy: Some Risk But No Impact on Mortality

While there are concerns regarding the risks associated with prolonged use of hormone replacement, an increasing number of studies suggest that the risk may be relatively low in certain settings. A study presented this week at the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting which analyzed data from 43 randomized clinical trials suggests that menopausal hormone-replacement therapy does not appear to affect mortality either positively or negatively.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-08-05T10:19:09-04:00March 12th, 2015|Menopausal Symptoms|0 Comments

What is The Best Screening Tool for Antenatal Depression

About 10% to 15% of women experience clinically significant depressive symptoms during pregnancy. Furthermore, women with a history of major depression appear to be at high risk for recurrent illness during pregnancy particularly in the [...]

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-03-03T14:36:33-04:00March 6th, 2015|Depressive Disorders, Women's Mental Health|0 Comments

Pregnancy Loss May Affect Mood in Subsequent Pregnancies

Many women experience the loss of a pregnancy at some time in their lives. It is estimated that about 20% of all pregnancies end in miscarriage. In the United States, another 14% end in termination.1 [...]

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2021-11-04T08:28:32-04:00March 4th, 2015|Pregnancy Loss, Psychiatric Disorders During Pregnancy|0 Comments

You Asked: Is Duloxetine (Cymbalta) Safe To Use During Pregnancy?

You can find a more recent post on this topic here: Venlafaxine and Duloxetine: Pooled Analysis Shows No Increase in Risk of Malformations We receive a fair number of questions on the use of duloxetine [...]

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-11-03T13:26:11-04:00March 3rd, 2015|Depressive Disorders, Psychiatric Disorders During Pregnancy, Women's Mental Health|5 Comments

Monthly Archives: March 2015