Isn’t It Time for Stricter Valproic Acid Warnings for Women of Reproductive Age?
Despite FDA warnings, valproate is still prescribed to women of reproductive age, placing children at risk for birth defects and neurodevelopmental disorders.
Yet Another Study: Antidepressants Do Not Increase Risk of Miscarriage
After accounting for maternal depression, there is little evidence of any association between antidepressant use during pregnancy and miscarriage.
Do SSRI Antidepressants Lower Risk of Preeclampsia? Maybe, But It’s Complicated
There is evidence that depression itself can increase risk for preeclampsia. In women with more severe depression, treatment with an SSRI antidepressant may decrease risk.
More Data on Pregnancy Outcomes Associated with Lithium Use During Pregnancy
Lithium use during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of preterm birth and large for gestational age infants.
COVID-19 and Pregnancy Outcomes: What We Know One Year Later
Over a year ago, we wrote our first post on COVID-19, and it is hard to believe that we are still very much in the midst of a pandemic. Since that time, we have [...]
Pregnancy Outcomes in Women with Bipolar Disorder
In treating pregnant women with mood or anxiety disorders, we tend to focus primarily on the reproductive safety of psychotropic medications; however, it must be recognized that withholding or withdrawing pharmacologic treatment for depression or [...]
Postpartum Hemorrhage in Women Taking Antidepressants During Pregnancy
Serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI) antidepressants may affect platelet aggregation and thus may increase the risk of bleeding. Â Several studies have sought to determine if exposure to SSRI antidepressants in late pregnancy is associated with an [...]
In Brief: Higher Thyroid Function During Pregnancy May Negatively Affect Brain Development
It is well established that during pregnancy maternal hypothyroidism may have negative effects on the developing fetal brain. New data presented at the 2015 International Thyroid Congress and Annual Meeting of the American Thyroid Association [...]
In Brief: Study Finds No Link Between Antipsychotics and Gestational Diabetes
Given the number of younger women using atypical antipsychotic medications, we need more accurate data regarding the reproductive safety of these medications. To better understand the link between antipsychotic medication and medical conditions associated with [...]
PTSD in Veterans Increases Risk of Preterm Birth
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is relatively common among pregnant and postpartum women. The lifetime prevalence of PTSD for women is about 10%. PTSD is most prevalent among women of childbearing age and PTSD symptoms are common during pregnancy. Earlier this year, we reported on a study which observed that women with a diagnosis of PTSD had an increased risk of preterm birth. The risk was particularly high in those women with diagnoses of both PTSD and a major depressive episode; these women had a 4-fold increased risk of preterm birth.