The following post was first published in OB/GYN News. Please see our OB/GYN News archives here. Publish date: July 3, 2017  Over the last 2 decades, there has been a growing interest in establishing a rich [...]
 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 reproductive safety, we have [...]
 Last week in clinical rounds we discussed a case of a woman with bipolar disorder who was planning a pregnancy.  She had a long history of illness, experiencing primarily depressive episodes since her early [...]
 There have long been concerns regarding the use of the anticonvulsant valproate (Depakote) during pregnancy.  First trimester use of valproate has been associated with a 3-5% risk of neural tube defects, as well as [...]
 Maintenance treatment with a mood stabilizer during pregnancy can significantly reduce the risk of relapse in women with bipolar disorder; however, many of the mood stabilizers commonly used in this setting, including lithium and [...]
Beta blockers are the most commonly used class of medication for treating cardiac conditions in pregnant women. Â They are also effective for the treatment of anxiety symptoms, most commonly performance anxiety. According to a report [...]
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. Â It is also used off-label to treat psychiatric disorders, most [...]
 Our group has noted that we are seeing an increase in the number of consultations for women treated with psychostimulants in combination with an antidepressant.  The reasons vary.  Some women have depression and comorbid [...]
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 [...]
About half of women smokers stop smoking during pregnancy, and that means about 13% of women in the United States continue to smoke while pregnant. Â In addition, about half of the women who manage to [...]
