Essential Reads: Why All Women of Reproductive Age Should Take Folic Acid
Folic Acid Awareness Week (Sept 13-19, 2026) focuses on the importance of daily folic acid supplements for women to prevent birth defects, as diet alone is often insufficient.
Prenatal Cannabis Exposure and Major Malformations: Inconsistent Data, Emerging Red Flags
Evidence linking prenatal cannabis to major malformations is mixed, but signals for rare defects like gastroschisis and omphalocele support caution regarding the use of cannabis in pregnancy.
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.
Which is Safer for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder During Pregnancy: Buprenorphine or Methadone?
In this large cohort study analyzing data from publicly insured Medicaid beneficiaries, the overall risk of malformations was lower with buprenorphine than with methadone.
Essential Reads: Modafinil and Armodafinil During Pregnancy Associated with Increased Risk of Malformations
Modafinil (brand name Provigil) and armodafinil (Nuvigil) are wake-promoting agents used to treat sleepiness due to narcolepsy, shift work sleep disorder, or obstructive sleep apnea. They are also used in other settings, often in [...]
Is Remeron (Mirtazapine) Safe to Use During Pregnancy? New Data
This study provides reassuring data on the use of mirtazapine during pregnancy, demonstrating no association between exposure and risk of major malformations or pregnancy loss.
New Research from the CWMH: No Increase in Major Malformations in Children with Prenatal Exposure to Olanzapine
No major malformations were associated with olanzapine exposure during the first trimester of pregnancy.
Essential Reads: Why Non-Randomized Studies Fall Short When Assessing Reproductive Safety
All of our information on the reproductive safety of medications comes from non-randomized studies. However, many of these studies fail to take into consideration other factors associated with maternal psychiatric illness which may also affect outcomes.
Essential Reads: Folic Acid, Neural Tube Defects, and Congenital Heart Defects
Despite the unequivocal benefits of folic acid supplementation and recommendations urging all women of reproductive age to take folic acid supplements, preconceptual use of folic acid has not increased substantially.
New Research from the CWMH: Preliminary Data on the Reproductive Safety of Buspirone (BuSpar)
Although a small sample, no major malformations were observed in a prospectively followed cohort of women with first trimester exposure to buspirone.