Relapse of Bipolar Disorder During Pregnancy Increases Risk of Postpartum Illness
More that half of women with bipolar disorder relapsed during pregnancy.
More that half of women with bipolar disorder relapsed during pregnancy.
These findings are encouraging and suggest that the newer AEDs, specifically lamotrigine and levetiracetam, are not associated with worse neurodevelopmental outcomes.
About 60% of women with mood disorders experience premenstrual exacerbation or PME of their mood during the premenstrual phase of their cycle.
Lamotrigine is detected in the breast milk and in the serum of the nursing infant; however, the risk of adverse events is very low.
Multiple studies have associated first trimester exposure to topiramate with increased risk of oral clefts.
In studies of psychosis unrelated to childbirth, there is evidence linking stress to the onset of psychosis.
Because postpartum psychosis is a relatively rare event, we do not have as much information on this illness as we have on postpartum depression. In addition, most of the literature we have on postpartum psychosis [...]
Because women with bipolar disorder are at high risk for relapse during the postpartum period, we typically recommend that women continue treatment with lithium throughout the postpartum period. While this intervention clearly decreases risk for postpartum psychiatric illness, the use of lithium while breastfeeding presents certain challenges.
Despite the increasing use of the newer “atypical” or second-generation antipsychotic agents to treat a spectrum of psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, PTSD and other anxiety disorders, we have relatively little data [...]
Dr. Lee S. Cohen, Director of the Ammon-Pinizzotto Center for Women's Mental Health at Massachusetts General Hospital, recently shared his insights on the reproductive safety of medication for bipolar disorder with Ob.Gyn News on March [...]