Anxiety symptoms are relatively common during pregnancy but typically undiagnosed and undertreated. A recent study of 2793 women observed that 9.5% of women meet criteria for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) at some point during their pregnancy. The highest rates of GAD were observed in the first trimester (7%). Only 2% of women met criteria for GAD in the second trimester, and 3% in the third trimester.
The following post was first published in OB/GYN News.
Some, but not all, studies have demonstrated an increased risk of miscarriage among women who take antidepressants. However, it has been difficult to determine whether this increased risk was related to exposure to the medication [...]
We have received many emails and calls from colleagues and patients regarding the recent article on the safety of SSRI use during pregnancy published in the New York Times. In this article, health writer Roni Caryn Rabin, detailed the risks associated with the use of antidepressants during pregnancy.
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 [...]
A recent study from researchers at the University of North Carolina reports that the children of depressed mothers treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) during pregnancy were more likely to develop Chiari type 1 malformations than were the children of mothers with no history of depression.
SSRIs were not associated with an increased risk of miscarriage.
Back in 2009, we reported on a study which demonstrated that paroxetine (Paxil) may affect sperm quality in men treated with this antidepressant. A new study reports a similar finding in men treated with sertraline [...]
A study to be published in an upcoming issue of Menopause suggests that stellate ganglion blockade (SGB) may be an effective option for women with vasomotor symptoms (VMS), including hot flashes and night sweats. SGB is used primarily for pain management and involves the injection of local anesthetic into the stellate ganglion, part of the sympathetic nerve system located in the neck.
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.
