In 2006, Chambers and colleagues published an article in the New England Journal of Medicine linking SSRI use during late pregnancy to an increased risk of persistent pulmonary hypertension in the newborn (PPHN).   Based on these findings, the “Usage in Pregnancy” section on the labels for SRRI antidepressants was updated to include the following warning: “Infants exposed [...]

Part 4:  The Postpartum Period This is a continuation of the case presented in a previous post. After discussing the risks and benefits of staying on fluoxetine after delivery versus changing to venlafaxine ER, Ms. D decided to resume venlafaxine ER while remaining on fluoxetine.  Like her previous experiences with venlafaxine ER, she responded quickly [...]

It is estimated that up to 95% of women experience some type of sleep disturbance during pregnancy.  While for many women the insomnia is relatively benign and may respond to simple interventions, other women experience more severe insomnia which has a significant impact on their quality of life and ability to function.  Various non-benzodiazepine hypnotic [...]

Tamoxifen is a SERM (selective estrogen receptor modulator) used in women with breast cancer; it reduces the risk of relapse and improves overall survival.  Tamoxifen may also be used to reduce the risk of breast cancer in women at high risk for the disease. In order to be fully effective, tamoxifen must be metabolized to [...]

Women face difficult choices when deciding whether or not to continue psychiatric medications during pregnancy.  This choice can be especially difficult for women taking newer medications which lack adequate reproductive safety data. It is not uncommon for women on newer medications with less reproductive safety data available to attempt to change to a better studied [...]

Mood Disturbance and Associated Symptoms Across the Reproductive Life Cycle of Women Saturday, November 20, 2010 9:15 am to 3:15 pm The precise relationship between psychiatric symptoms and female reproductive function remains to be clarified. Investigators continue to examine questions related to premenstrual symptoms of worsening of mood and anxiety, affective instability during pregnancy, as [...]

Approximately 4% of the adult population suffers from ADHD. Attention and executive functioning difficulties also occur in those with mood and psychotic disorders and require treatment strategies similar to those used to address ADHD symptoms. First line medications most often used to treat ADHD in adults are Dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine, Adderall) and Methylphenidate (Concerta, Ritalin, Metadate). [...]

Omega-3 Fatty Acids: The Basics for Clinicians and Patients Omega-3 fatty acids have broad general health benefits across areas in medicine. They are anti-inflammatory and have well-established cardiovascular benefits.  In addition, several studies have shown that supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids may improve outcomes in those receiving standard treatment for major depression and bipolar disorder.  [...]

Increased muscle tone, jitteriness, sleep disturbance, irritability, feeding problems, mild respiratory distress and myoclonus have been reported as symptoms of a potential neonatal distress syndrome related to exposure to SSRIs in late pregnancy.  The average duration of symptoms reported is 48 hours.  It is estimated that between 25-30% of SSRI-exposed infants are at risk for [...]

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) affect a large number of women of childbearing age. 30-80% of reproductive age women experience premenstrual symptoms. PMS refers to a pattern of physical, emotional, and behavioral symptoms occurring 1-2 weeks before menses and remitting with the onset of menses. Common symptoms include fatigue, poor concentration, mild [...]

In 2006, Chambers and colleagues published an article linking SSRI use during late pregnancy to an increased risk of persistent pulmonary hypertension in the newborn (PPHN). Since that time, several other reports have been published which have examined the association between SSRI antidepressants and PPHN.  Here is a summary of the findings to date: Chambers [...]

Our blog has been nominated for Best Health Blog in the 2008 Blogger’s Choice Awards.  Please vote and show your support -  our hope is that being voted one of the top blogs in the health field will introduce more people to the important issues in perinatal and reproductive psychiatry.  We are currently one of [...]

The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act — named for an Illinois woman who committed suicide three months after giving birth — was approved by the House of Representatives in October. This article from the North Jersey Record reports that the legislation has been held up in the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee. Opposition [...]

Since the launch of our blog we’ve addressed many issues and questions in the field of Women’s Mental Health. Compiled below is a list of our most popular blog posts, on topics ranging from the safety of psychotropic drug use during pregnancy to postpartum depression. 1. Can Women Suffer from Postpartum Depression after Miscarriage? – [...]

Our blog has been nominated for Best Health Blog for the 2008 Blogger’s Choice Awards. We are very excited about this nomination and hope that being voted one of the top blogs in the health field will introduce more people to the important issues in perinatal and reproductive psychiatry. Please take a few minutes and [...]

To all our readers: We are so happy with the blog’s activity and the comments we have received since the blog launched last year. Please keep in mind that the purpose of our blog is not to provide individual consultation. Responding to individual requests for consultation on specific patients exceeds the capacity and goal of [...]

About 3-5% of women of reproductive age suffer from premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), where they experience depressive symptoms, anxiety or irritability during the last one to two weeks (the premenstrual phase) of their menstrual cycle. In addition, many women who suffer from depression, including those who have been effectively treated with an antidepressant, report worsening [...]