Current Women's Health Reviews - Volume 7, Issue 1, 2011

Unfortunately, pregnancy and puerperium are not protective against the onset or recurrence of psychiatric disorders. Concordant information drawn from scientific literature has also demonstrated that antenatal and puerperal mental problems impact severely on the physiological progress of pregnancy, the developing fetus, the infant, and even the future psychological and neurocognitive development of their offspring. He Read More

While the treatment of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders has advanced over the past decades, the management of women with this serious mental illness, who become pregnant, and their babies remains a concern. The use of psychotropic medications is necessary in a large number of women of childbearing potential who have a serious mental illness however the use of psychotropics, particularly antipsychot Read More

Since 1993 there have been numerous published reports on teratogenic risks of antidepressants. Most of the studies indicate that the risk of major malformations associated to the use of antidepressants in early pregnancy is not greater than the risk of major malformations in the general population without known risk factors. Few studies have shown a slight increase in the presence of malformations associated with the us Read More

Late in utero exposure to antidepressants has been suspected of compromising neonatal adaptation. Objectives: To analyze published information on the risk of neonatal withdrawal phenomena associated with antidepressant use during late pregnancy. Methods: Computerized searches on MEDLINE, PsycINFO, ENBASE, and Cochrane Library (up to October 2010) were performed for selecting literature information published Read More

Background: The treatment of breastfeeding mothers with depression raises several dilemmas, including the possible risk of drug exposure through breast milk for the infant. This article provides background information and presents practical advice and recommendations for the clinician dealing with the treatment of depression and related disorders in the postpartum period. Methods: An electronic search for relevant articles was Read More

The management of psychiatric illness during pregnancy requires a risk-benefit analysis; physicians must weigh the benefits of treating severe psychiatric illness in pregnant patients with the possible risks to the mother of non-treatment and the risks to the developing fetus secondary to exposure to psychotropic medication. Unfortunately for many pregnant women, discontinuation of their antipsychotic medication is not Read More

Background: Post partum psychosis, mainly first episodes and relapses of either bipolar or schizophrenic disorders, entail severe risks for both mother and infant during postpartum, including suicide and infanticide. Although antipsychotics are now generally considered as a first line treatment for these disorders, there are no randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining their efficacy during postpartum and there ar Read More

Lithium salts are regularly used in the treatment for bipolar disorder, both as a prophylactic and as an episodic treatment agent. Bipolar affective disorder is most common in women of childbearing age. The available evidence indicate that lithium at therapeutic dose levels poses only a small but measurable teratogenic hazard to human reproduction being the main teratogenic target the cardiovascular system. The specific d Read More

Valproate, carbamazepine and lamotrigine are used in psychiatry mainly for the treatment of bipolar disorder. Increasing evidence from studies in women with epilepsy indicate that valproate in higher doses is toxic to the susceptible fetus and can cause anomalies in several organ systems as well as widespread deficits in later cognitive development. This agent should not now be prescribed in psychiatry to women during the e Read More

Efforts to prevent cervical cancer in the developed world have largely been successful, with cervical cancer rates showing a decline over time. The Great Britain age-standardised (European) incidence rate for cervical cancer has decreased by around 44% since 1975. In the UK the age-standardised (European) incidence rate for cervical cancer has decreased by 29% since 1993 [1]. This has been achieved largely throug Read More

Cervical cancer is the most common gynaecological cancer in developing countries. It is the single largest cause of life years lost to cancer in these settings, despite the existence of technology that could almost entirely prevent these deaths. Low-income countries face multiple challenges that prevent them achieving a reduction in burden of disease similar to that of the industrialised countries. Cytology-based programs are diffi Read More

Cervical cancer presents a significant challenge for the clinician in choosing the optimal therapy. The majority of disease burden remains in the resource poor developing world, where sophisticated surgical or radiological staging is generally not available. In the developed world, surgery remains the mainstay of treatment for early invasive disease, but surgical staging is of controversial importance in the management of l Read More

Women between ages 30-40 have the highest incidence of cervical cancer in the UK and survival rates in this group are over 85%. Traditional treatments for both early and more locally advanced disease render women infertile but treatments which allow them to maintain the potential for having children are now available and should be discussed prior to the commencement of definitive cancer treatment. Fertility-sparing s Read More

A diagnosis of cervical cancer during pregnancy often requires difficult management decisions. This review focuses on the current literature and practice with regards to diagnosis and management. We explore the role of surgery, chemoradiation and neo-adjuvant chemotherapy. Treatment decisions are influenced by the stage of the cancer, the histological type, the stage of the pregnancy and the patient's wishes. Both mat Read More

As diagnostic, screening and treatment options for cervical cancer become more efficient, more people will benefit from treatment and therefore survive longer. Modern treatment options for cervical cancer, despite advantages in survival, carry a broad spectrum of morbidities, leaving survivors with chronic treatment related conditions, the management of which requires complex multidisciplinary expert approaches. It i Read More

Obstetric anaesthesia can be potentially hazardous. The physiological changes of pregnancy place an extra burden on the pregnant patient, particularly on the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, which may then be further strained by the introduction of general or regional anaesthesia in the peripartum period. Many of these physiological changes can be exacerbated by obesity, and the care of obese partur Read More