In childhood, ADHD is clearly more common in boys than in girls; however, in adult samples, the sex differences in prevalence are mush smaller. There is also increasing recognition that girls and women may present [...]
Many women ask about the safety of drinking caffeinated beverages during pregnancy. A recent study looked at this question, analyzing data from the NICHD Fetal Growth Studies–Singletons, which included a group of 2,055 nonsmoking women at low risk for fetal growth problems. Caffeine consumption was evaluated using plasma concentrations of caffeine and paraxanthine (a metabolite of caffeine) and self-reported caffeinated beverage consumption at 10 to 13 weeks gestation.
Bupropion is commonly used to treat depression, and is also prescribed to support smoking cessation. Early data on bupropion-exposure during pregnancy raised concern for a possible increase in risk of malformations of the heart and large blood vessels in bupropion-exposed infants. Subsequent data from bupropion pregnancy registries has been reassuring, however, and do not demonstrate an overall increase in risk of cardiac defects following first trimester bupropion exposure. Although the overall risk of cardiac defects was not increased, the distribution of specific defects in these registries was unexpected in some ways. For example, the GlaxoSmithKline Bupropion Pregnancy Registry included two cases of coarctation of the aorta out of the 675 bupropion-exposed infants, compared to the rate of 6 cases per 10,000 births in the general population.
There have been multiple studies over last year showing increased anxiety and depression in certain populations as a result of the COVID pandemic. It is clear that some members of the population may be [...]
Despite the increasing use of the newer “atypical” or second-generation antipsychotic agents to treat a spectrum of psychiatric disorders, we have relatively little data on the use of these newer atypical agents in breastfeeding women.
We continue to see more and more women of reproductive age using marijuana in various forms. While marijuana is viewed by some as a safe alternative for the treatment of various maladies associated with pregnancy, [...]
Every week we review the most recent publications in women’s mental health, covering topics related to premenstrual symptoms, perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, use of medications in pregnant and breastfeeding women, perinatal substance [...]
While the risk of severe COVID in pregnant women is relatively low, pregnant women with severe COVID experience worse outcomes. Some of our perinatal patients can’t wait to get a COVID-19 vaccine, some of our [...]
The dosing of lithium presents certain challenges during pregnancy. During pregnancy, there is a physiologic increase in the glomerular filtration rate (GFR), which is a measure of how quickly the kidney clears renally excreted compounds, [...]
Despite the increasing use of the newer atypical or second-generation antipsychotic agents to treat a spectrum of psychiatric disorders, including psychotic disorders, bipolar disorder, major depression, PTSD and other anxiety disorders, we have relatively little [...]
