Many women experience the loss of a pregnancy at some time in their lives. It is estimated that about 20% of all pregnancies end in miscarriage. In the United States, another 14% end in termination.1 [...]
This is a relatively small study but I think it underscores the importance of screening for and treating depression during pregnancy. Previous studies have indicated that about 10% to 15% of women experience clinically significant [...]
While various studies have recently examined the prevalence of depression during pregnancy, few of these studies have examined how being an ethnic minority may influence the risk of antenatal depression. Â A new study from Oslo, Norway suggests that certain ethnic minorities may have a higher risk.
We have seen multiple studies which indicate that postpartum depression (PPD) interferes with breastfeeding. Postpartum women who suffer from depression are less likely to breastfeed, and they typically breastfeed for a shorter duration than women who are not depressed. A recent study looks at an entirely different question, asking whether postpartum stress affects the quality of the breast milk. In this study, the researchers focused on levels of immunoglobulin A (IgA) in the breast milk. (Immunoglobulins or antibodies are passed from the mother to the baby through the breast milk and help to confer immunity.)
Last week was National Folic Acid Awareness Week at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), so this seems like a great time to remind women (and their caregivers) of the importance of folic acid in the prevention of birth defects. By taking the recommended dosage of folic acid daily, women will reduce the risk of neural tube defects by 50% - 70%. In addition, women who take folic acid supplements are less likely to give birth to a child with an autism spectrum disorder.
We have long been concerned about the impact of stressful life events on pregnancy outcomes. There is data to indicate that stress experienced during pregnancy may increase the risk of various adverse outcomes, including increased risk of preterm birth and lower birth weight. Other studies suggest that prenatal exposure to maternal stress may also increase the risk of later psychopathology in the child, increasing the exposed child’s risk of being diagnosed with ADHD, mood and anxiety disorders, and schizophrenia.
A recent study examined the prevalence and risk factors for perinatal depression and anxiety in a group of Norwegian women with epilepsy (n = 706) compared to pregnancies in all women without epilepsy (n = 106,511).
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.
Women with psychiatric disorders represent an at-risk population for premature delivery and other obstetrical complications. This study assesses the association between omega-3 fatty acid use and length of gestation. Â In an unadjusted model, there was [...]
With the advent of the newer, atypical antipsychotic medications, patients with psychotic disorders have been able to achieve greater symptom control with less disabling side effects. For women with schizophrenia, there has also been an increase in fertility rates over the last decade. Previous studies have suggested that women with schizophrenia, as compared to women with no psychiatric illness, are at increased risk for pregnancy and delivery complications, including low birthweight, intrauterine growth restriction, and preterm birth. However, most of these studies occurred at a time when the women were treated with older antipsychotic medications, and we cannot assume that these findings are relevant now, when women with schizophrenia are more commonly treated with the newer atypical antipsychotics and have much better control of their symptoms.
