Given the number of younger women using atypical antipsychotic medications, there is an urgent need for more accurate data regarding the reproductive safety of these medications. One important question is whether these newer antipsychotic [...]
The use of the newer “atypical” or second-generation antipsychotic (SGA) agents continues to increase. These medications are used to treat a spectrum of psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, PTSD and anxiety disorders. [...]
Many women are understandably concerned about the risk of weight gain associated with antidepressants. It is difficult to advise them as to which antidepressants are less or more likely to cause weight gain, as there [...]
Eating disorders are relatively common among women of reproductive age, yet the literature on the effects of maternal eating disorders (ED) on pregnancy outcomes is relatively sparse. There has been concern that eating disorders may negatively affect gestational weight gain. Previous studies have demonstrated an association between maternal anorexia nervosa (AN) (both active and past) and lower infant birthweight (as compared to women with no history of ED); however, calculations of the magnitude of this effect have been inconsistent.
Most studies have shown that women experience an improvement or remission in eating disorders during pregnancy; however, studies assessing how eating disorders may affect pregnancy outcomes have yielded conflicting results. While some studies have demonstrated no negative effects, others have demonstrated higher miscarriage rates among women with bulimia nervosa. In addition, women with histories of eating disorders have been shown to be significantly more likely to experience preterm delivery and to give birth to babies small for gestational age.
Many individuals have the experience of weight gain while receiving treatment with an antidepressant, and often wonder if selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are associated with weight gain. This is an excellent, complex, and clinically important question.
