Essential Reads: Lithium and Pregnancy
While the use of lithium has been in decline over the last 20 years, lithium continues to be a useful and highly effective mood stabilizer for women with bipolar disorder, especially those with a history [...]
Essential Reads: Emerging Evidence of the Long-Term Effects of Cannabis on the Developing Brain
Despite decreasing rates of alcohol and tobacco use during pregnancy, the use of cannabis use during pregnancy is on the rise. We are seeing an increasing number of women in our clinic who are using [...]
Prenatal Exposure to Valproic Acid Linked to Increased Risk for Autism, ADHD
Prenatal exposure to valproate has been associated with an elevated risk (10%) for a broad range of congenital malformations including neural tube defects, as well as adverse neurodevelopmental sequelae, including lower IQ and developmental delays [...]
Essential Reads: More Data on ADHD Medications and Pregnancy
Women with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often discontinue psychostimulant medications during pregnancy, especially if they have milder symptoms. While this approach makes sense in terms of limiting unnecessary exposures in women with what appears to [...]
Taking a Closer Look at Motor Development in Children with Prenatal Exposure to Antidepressants
While we have data to support the use of antidepressants, including the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and the serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), during pregnancy, most studies have focused on risk of congenital [...]
Essential Reads: Mirtazapine (Remeron) and Pregnancy
This is the first installment of a new feature on our website: ESSENTIAL READS This is a kind of shortcut which allows you to find the most relevant reviews and articles in reproductive psychiatry. [...]
Prenatal Valproic Acid (Depakote) Exposure Increases Risk for Neurodevelopmental Disorders
While we have considerable information regarding the teratogenic risk associated with prenatal exposure to various antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), we have considerably less information on the impact of exposure to AEDs on behavioral outcomes in [...]
Modafinil and Armodafinil During Pregnancy: Data to Suggest Increased Risk of Malformations
As soon as we published this article on the use of modafinil during pregnancy, another study was published which included data on the reproductive safety of modafinil and armodafinil from the US Provigil/Nuvigil Pregnancy [...]
Study Supporting the Reproductive Safety of Gabapentin During Pregnancy
Gabapentin (Neurontin) is now used in a wide variety of clinical settings — for the treatment of epilepsy, pain management, restless leg syndrome, anxiety, and sleep disturbance. However, there is relatively little information regarding [...]
New (But Still Not Enough) Data on Modafinil and Pregnancy
Modafinil (brand name Provigil) is a wake-promoting agent which is used to treat sleepiness due to narcolepsy, shift work sleep disorder, or obstructive sleep apnea. It is also used in other settings, often in [...]