Essential Reads: Medications for Smoking Cessation in Breastfeeding Women
Our information on the use of medications for smoking cessation in nursing mothers is limited.
Essential Reads: SBIRT for Women with Alcohol and Drug Use During Pregnancy
Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment or SBIRT has been shown to be a quick and effective means of identifying and intervening with patients whose patterns of use put them at risk for, or who already have, substance-related health problems.
Substance Use in Pregnant Women Probably Underestimated in Current Reports
At the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association (presented virtually this year), Dr. Kimberly Yonkers from the Center for Wellbeing of Women and Mothers at Yale University presented on the prevalence of substance [...]
Secondhand Smoke Increases Risk for Hyperactivity and Behavior Problems in Young Children
Previous studies have demonstrated that children born to mothers who smoke during pregnancy are at increased risk for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In a recent review, Huang and colleagues looked at data from 15 cohort [...]
Smoking During Pregnancy and Risk for ADHD in Children
Previous studies have demonstrated that children born to mothers who smoke during pregnancy are at increased risk for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Â In a recent review, Huang and colleagues looked at data from 15 cohort studies [...]
Many Pregnant Women Unaware of the Risks of Electronic Cigarettes
More and more people are using electronic cigarettes. Â While e-cigarettes are often touted as being safer than tobacco-containing cigarettes, there is fierce debate among experts as to whether this is actually the case. Â There is [...]
Postpartum Depression and Cigarette Smoking
A recent study examines the relationship between postpartum depression (PPD) and cigarette smoking. The study sample consisted of 29,654 U.S. women who reported smoking in the 3 months prior to pregnancy and for whom data on PPD were available from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS).
You Asked: Is Smoking While Breastfeeding Safe?
This is one of the most common questions sent in to our website. Many women ask if it is safe to smoke while they are breastfeeding. Smoking is relatively common during pregnancy, with about 10% of all women smoking at some point during their pregnancy. The rates are even higher among women with psychiatric illness. While many women may be able to stop smoking or reduce their intake during pregnancy, most women resume smoking during the postpartum period.  And women who suffer from postpartum depression are at even higher risk for smoking relapse.
Smoking While Pregnant: What are the Effects on the Developing Fetal Brain?
When women come to us for consultation, we focus primarily on the risks of exposure to psychotropic medications. It is important, however, to consider the impact of other, potentially harmful, exposures that are common in [...]
Smoking While Breastfeeding: What Are the Risks?
Approximately 25% of American women of reproductive age smoke tobacco, and many continue to smoke during and after pregnancy despite the known potential harm to their own health and to their child’s health. These health threats remain after the child’s birth as the baby is exposed to nicotine and other toxins in both ambient air and breast milk.