Essential Reads: The Use of Sedative-Hypnotic Drugs During Pregnancy
More study is needed regarding the safety of sedative-hypnotic medications during pregnancy.
Essential Reads: Postpartum Depression, Is it Unipolar or Bipolar?
Vigilance is required in screening women who present with postpartum depression; a subset of women who screen positive for depression may actually have bipolar disorder.
Essential Reads: Keeping Up with the Medical Literature in Reproductive Psychiatry
There are many different sources of information, some better than others.
Essential Reads: Modafinil and Armodafinil During Pregnancy Associated with Increased Risk of Malformations
Modafinil (brand name Provigil) and armodafinil (Nuvigil) are wake-promoting agents used to treat sleepiness due to narcolepsy, shift work sleep disorder, or obstructive sleep apnea. They are also used in other settings, often in [...]
Essential Reads: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Perinatal Depression
TMS in pregnancy and the postpartum period appears to be a promising treatment option with no reports of adverse obstetric outcomes or congenital malformations.
Essential Reads: SSRI Antidepressants During Pregnancy and Risk of Hypertension, Preeclampsia
There is evidence that depression itself can increase risk for hypertension and preeclampsia. Future studies will help to clarify the complex interaction between depression, SSRI treatment and pre-eclampsia.
Essential Reads: Cannabis and Breastfeeding
At this point, the medical use of cannabis is legal in 37 states and the District of Columbia (D.C.). The recreational use of cannabis has been legalized in 21 states and D.C. The downstream effect [...]
Essential Reads: Prenatal Exposure to Benzodiazepines and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes
The largest study to date observes no increase in risk of autism or ADHD in children with prenatal exposure to benzodiazepines.
Essential Reads: Peer Support Interventions for Perinatal Depression
Peer support interventions can reduce the incidence of postpartum depression and the severity of depressive symptoms.
Essential Reads: Why Non-Randomized Studies Fall Short When Assessing Reproductive Safety
All of our information on the reproductive safety of medications comes from non-randomized studies. However, many of these studies fail to take into consideration other factors associated with maternal psychiatric illness which may also affect outcomes.