According to a recent meta-analysis published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, one in five pregnant women experience at least one type of anxiety disorder. While this may be surprising to some, anybody who works [...]
While we have considerable information regarding the teratogenic risk associated with prenatal exposure to various antiepileptic (AED) drugs, we have less impact on exposure to AEDs on behavior outcomes in children. Several studies have shown [...]
Clinically we see that many women with major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder experience worsening of their symptoms prior to the onset of menses. We have less data on the impact of menstrual cycle on [...]
There is a growing body of literature which indicates that anxiety symptoms are common during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Â Anxiety during pregnancy places the woman at greater risk for postpartum depression and may also [...]
We don’t hear this clinical question so often but it does come up from time to time.  While the anticonvulsant oxcarbazepine (Trileptal) was initially promoted as a mood stabilizer for patients with bipolar disorder, it [...]
There have long been concerns regarding the safety of the anticonvulsant valproic acid (Depakote) during pregnancy. Â Back in 2009, the American Academy of Neurology and American Epilepsy Society recommended against the use of valproic acid [...]
Previous studies have shown that children exposed to antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) during pregnancy may be at increased risk for neurodevelopmental disorders. Â In a recent population-based cohort study from Denmark, researchers examined the prevalence of [...]
The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology now recommends that women be screened for depression during pregnancy in addition to screening during the postpartum period. Â Because depressive symptoms during pregnancy have been associated with worse [...]
While we use lithium less commonly now than we have in the past, lithium is still one of the very best mood stabilizers we have. Â And with regard to its use during pregnancy, we have [...]
EURAP is an international registry for antiepileptic drugs and pregnancy. Â At its inception in 1999, it included only European countries but EURAP has grown and now includes 42 countries from Europe, Australia, Asia, South America. [...]
