Over the last few years, we have reported on several studies which have suggested an increased risk of certain types of cardiovascular malformations among children exposed to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) during pregnancy. The first reports [...]
Second-generation or “atypical” antipsychotics, such as olanzapine (Zyprexa), aripiprazole (Abilify), and risperidone (Risperdal), are used far more frequently than are the first-generation or “typical” antipsychotics, such as haloperidol (Haldol). This is largely because the newer [...]
For many women with bipolar disorder, lamotrigine (Lamictal) is an effective mood stabilizer. Given its relatively favorable reproductive safety profile, lamotrigine is a reasonable option for women who require treatment with a mood stabilizer during pregnancy.
In the developing baby, iodine is necessary for thyroid function and normal brain development. According to a recent Lancet study, even children born to women with mild-to-moderate iodine deficiency during pregnancy are at increased risk for lower IQ and reading ability (assessed at age 9). The most severe effects were observed among children born to women with severe deficiency.
This is a paper I missed from 2014, but I think this study adds some important information to the review we posted on topiramate a few weeks ago.
This report from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) was published yesterday and is a good, albeit alarming, companion to the post we published yesterday on obstetrical outcomes.
In a recent study, researchers looked at the rising nationwide trend of opioid abuse and dependence in pregnancy and obstetrical outcomes in this patient population. Previous research has focused on neonatal outcomes, such as neonatal abstinence syndrome; however, maternal complications have not been well-studied. In this study, data was collected from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS), including nearly 57 million American women who were admitted for obstetric delivery between the years 1998-2011. Overall 113,105 of those women (0.2%) were identified as abusing or being dependent on opioids. The prevalence increased by 127% from the beginning of the study in 1998 until its completion in 2011, reflecting the growing opioid epidemic. The increase was mostly represented in women 20 to 34 years or age.
The European Medicine Agency (EMA)'s Pharmacovigilance and Risk Assessment Committee recently recommended strengthening the restrictions on the use of valproic acid in women of reproductive age. Over the last few years, we have seen a host of articles documenting the deleterious effects of valproic acid on the developing fetus:
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).
