February 28, 2024

Allison Baker, MD on the Specialized Care of Pregnant and Postpartum Women with ADHD

ADHD, Postpartum Psychiatric Disorders, Psychiatric Disorders During Pregnancy, Treatment

To better care for pregnant and postpartum mothers with ADHD, clinicians should understand the unique facets of ADHD in women, how symptoms change during pregnancy and the postpartum period, and how to help new parents make decisions around medication use and ADHD symptom management.

MGH Center for Women's Mental Health

The prevalence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is estimated to be about 7% in children and adolescents and 2.5-5% in adults. Traditionally women are less likely than men to be diagnosed with ADHD; however, we are seeing an increasing number of women with ADHD in our clinic at the Center for Women’s Mental Health who are either pregnant or planning to conceive. While we have considerable data to indicate that women with mood and anxiety disorders are at increased risk for relapse during pregnancy, we have very limited information on the course of ADHD during pregnancy.

In a study from the CWMH, Dr. Allison Baker observed that women who discontinued psychostimulants during pregnancy were more likely to experience clinically significant depressive symptoms during pregnancy than women who continued treatment with stimulants. Other studies have documented that somen with ADHD may also be more vulnerable to postpartum depression.

In a series of articles published in the online magazine ADDitude, Allison Baker, MD from the MGH Center for Women’s Mental Health discusses the challenges women with ADHD face during pregnancy and the postpartum period and provides practical treatment guidelines.