The use of opioid drugs in women of childbearing age has become a pressing public health concern. Â It is clear that opiate use during pregnancy puts the mother and child at risk; opiate use during [...]
According to a recent study, obstetrical care providers often do not counsel their pregnant patients who use marijuana about the potential risks associated with its use during pregnancy. In fact, nearly half of pregnant women [...]
Australian researchers have developed a cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) treatment intervention for antenatal depression and anxiety. Â Beating the Blues Before Birth, to be delivered as individual therapy, was adapted from a 12-session group intervention for [...]
We are seeing an increasing number of women in our clinic who are using marijuana on a regular basis -- recreationally and medically prescribed -- to help them manage various psychiatric symptoms, including depression and [...]
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) just released a new report regarding the use of alcohol during pregnancy and the risk of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs). Prenatal alcohol exposure can lead to a broad [...]
More and more people are using electronic cigarettes. Â While e-cigarettes are often touted as being safer than tobacco-containing cigarettes, there is fierce debate among experts as to whether this is actually the case. Â There is [...]
With many states now moving forward with the legalization of medical marijuana, there seems to be a growing sense that marijuana is relatively safe and may, in some cases, be more attractive or effective than [...]
Prenatal cocaine exposure or PCE occurs when a child is exposed in utero to cocaine taken by the pregnant mother. We know that cocaine exposure during pregnancy can negatively affect the pregnancy; women who use [...]
A recent study examines the relationship between postpartum depression (PPD) and cigarette smoking. The study sample consisted of 29,654 U.S. women who reported smoking in the 3 months prior to pregnancy and for whom data on PPD were available from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS).
This is one of the most common questions sent in to our website. Many women ask if it is safe to smoke while they are breastfeeding. Smoking is relatively common during pregnancy, with about 10% of all women smoking at some point during their pregnancy. The rates are even higher among women with psychiatric illness. While many women may be able to stop smoking or reduce their intake during pregnancy, most women resume smoking during the postpartum period.  And women who suffer from postpartum depression are at even higher risk for smoking relapse.
