For women with mild to moderate attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, we frequently recommend discontinuing medication and switching to a non-pharmacologic intervention. Although these women might experience some decrease in their level of functioning, they typically [...]
While the human brain continues develop throughout the first twenty or so years of life, the most vulnerable periods of brain development occur during pregnancy and the first 2 to 3 years of the child’s [...]
While we have now a fair amount of information regarding the course of major depression and bipolar disorder during pregnancy and the postpartum period, we have much less information on the course obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). [...]
Most studies evaluating the prevalence of perinatal depression are cross-sectional, meaning that depressive symptoms are measured at a single point in time. Less information is available regarding the trajectory of perinatal depression. In obstetric populations, it seems that there are women with briefer episodes of milder postpartum depressive symptoms, while others have more persistent and debilitating depressive symptoms after childbirth. Other women experience depression during pregnancy. Several studies suggest that there is considerable heterogeneity among women who experience depressive symptoms during pregnancy and the postpartum period.
Two recent epidemiologic studies have demonstrated an association between prenatal exposure to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants (SSRIs) with autism spectrum disorders (ASD; Croen et al 2011, Rai et al, 2013). One important imitation of these two studies is that parental psychiatric disorder in itself is associated with an increased risk of ASD in the offspring, and these studies could not distinguish between the effects of drug exposure and the consequences of the underlying maternal psychiatric illness. Two new studies shed light on the association between prenatal antidepressant exposure and risk of autism spectrum disorder in the offspring.
In a recent editorial in The Annals of Internal Medicine entitled “Enough Is Enough: Stop Wasting Money on Vitamin and Mineral Supplements,” authors make a case that multivitamins are not a good value (Dec 17, 2013 issue). This editorial was based on new research that demonstrated that there was no association between multivitamin use and rates of mortality, cognitive decline and recurrent cardiovascular events in three different studies. The assertion that multivitamins are not worth the money was widely reported in the media.
The PPHN story has been a bit of a rollercoaster. Just to review…
An increasing number of reproductive age women now take newer anticonvulsants for the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders; however, information regarding the reproductive safety of these medications is limited. A recent study has evaluated the cognitive and language development of children born to women with epilepsy exposed in utero to levetiracetam (LEV, Keppra) or sodium valproate (VPA, Depakote), as compared to control children born to women without epilepsy not taking medication during pregnancy.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants may affect platelet aggregation and thus may increase the risk of bleeding. Several studies have sought to determine if exposure to SSRI antidepressants in late pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of postpartum hemorrhage.
During pregnancy, many women complain that they feel more forgetful or less sharp than before their pregnancy.
