Often referred to as the “hormone of love," oxytocin plays an important role in childbirth, maternal behavior, lactation, social affiliation, and sexual pleasure. Levels of oxytocin, a neuropeptide produced by the hypothalamus and released into [...]
Postpartum depression (PPD) has been identified as the “most under-recognized, under-diagnosed, and under-treated obstetrical complication in America”, affecting approximately 10-15% of new mothers. In addition to affecting maternal mental health during a critical time [...]
Most studies over the last few decades have estimated the prevalence of postpartum depression (PPD) in the United States to be between 10% and 15%. According to longitudinal data derived from the Pregnancy Risk [...]
Several studies suggest that postpartum anxiety is relatively common among postpartum women and may even be more common than depression. Emerging evidence also suggests that a large number of postpartum women who do not [...]
Many studies have documented the finding that exposure to maternal psychiatric illness early on in the child’s life may adversely affect the child’s cognitive, emotional and behavioral development. These early studies focused on the impact [...]
About 15% of women suffer from perinatal depression -- depression which emerges during pregnancy or the postpartum period; however, most women with perinatal depression do not receive any type of treatment. While we have made [...]
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a growth factor which acts on neurons in both the central and peripheral nervous systems, promoting the survival of neurons and promoting the growth and differentiation of new neurons and [...]
Most studies observe that about 15% of women experience postpartum depression (PPD). For the majority of women who present with postpartum depression, the postpartum episode is not the first ever episode of depression and instead [...]
Early pregnancy loss (EPL) is common, affecting up to 25% of pregnancies. Studies looking at the emotional consequences of miscarriage have shown that most women do well; however, some women experience clinically significant symptoms of [...]
When we meet women for consultations regarding the use of psychotropic medications during pregnancy, we focus primarily on the impact of medications on the developing fetus and the pregnancy. However, we need also to address [...]
