There have long been concerns regarding the safety of the anticonvulsant valproic acid (Depakote) during pregnancy. 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. In a recent population-based cohort study from Denmark, researchers examined the prevalence of [...]
While we have focused a great deal on the emergence of mood disorders during pregnancy and the postpartum period, there is a growing body of literature that indicates that anxiety symptoms are prevalent during this [...]
Concerns regarding a link between antidepressant use during pregnancy and autism emerged when two epidemiologic studies demonstrated an association between prenatal exposure to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants (SSRIs) with an increased risk of autism [...]
Pregabalin (marketed in the US as Lyrica) is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of epilepsy, fibromyalgia, and neuropathic pain. It is also used off-label to treat psychiatric disorders, most [...]
The newer “atypical” or second-generation antipsychotic agents are now used to treat a spectrum of psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, PTSD and other anxiety disorders. The National Pregnancy Registry for Atypical Antipsychotics [...]
Recent studies have demonstrated that more than 10% of women experience clinically significant symptoms of anxiety during pregnancy, particularly during the first trimester. Anxiety during pregnancy is not necessarily a benign event. Various studies indicate [...]
Over the last ten or so years, we have noticed a significant increase in the use of ondansetron (marketed as Zofiran) for the treatment of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy (NVP). In a recent issue [...]
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. And with regard to its use during pregnancy, we have [...]
For clinicians who have not yet discovered the incredibly thoughtful and clinically practical monthly articles from Chittaranjan Andrade in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, it’s time to take a look. (Not only are these articles [...]
