When we started our website 15 years ago, a productive month in the field of reproductive psychiatry meant that a few good articles were published. Times have certainly changed. In fact, it is sometimes difficult [...]
For decades, researchers have postulated a connection between breastfeeding and postpartum depression (PPD). However, the research examining the association between postpartum depression and breastfeeding has been somewhat difficult to interpret. While many believe that breastfeeding [...]
![By Vera Kratochvil [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](https://womensmentalhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Mother_Kissing_Baby-320x202.jpg)
About ten years ago, we ran a collaborative project with our obstetrics department here at MGH where we screened all new mothers for postpartum depression. The screening went well. Nearly all the women completed the [...]
It is well established that during pregnancy maternal hypothyroidism may have negative effects on the developing fetal brain. New data presented at the 2015 International Thyroid Congress and Annual Meeting of the American Thyroid Association [...]
Stressful life events occurring during pregnancy and the postpartum period have consistently been identified as a risk factor for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. While we have instruments to assess for stressful life events and [...]
As a field we have focused primarily on the detection of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders; however, one should be aware of the growing body of literature that suggests that certain interventions may actually decrease [...]
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) just released a new report regarding the use of alcohol during pregnancy and the risk of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs). Prenatal alcohol exposure can lead to a broad [...]
When we meet with women to discuss the reproductive safety of antidepressant medications, one of the most challenging and anxiety-provoking aspects of the consultation is the discussion we have regarding the long-term effects of prenatal [...]
Multiple studies support the efficacy of serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) for the treatment of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). In the initial studies, treatment was administered daily throughout the entire menstrual cycle. Researchers observed that for [...]
According to data presented at the annual meeting of the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) in Las Vega, a growing number of perimenopausal women are asking their doctors for compounded or bioidentical hormones. Although bioidentical [...]
