Prescribing change, expecting more
When it comes to medication and pregnancy, women suffering from bipolar disorder often receive conflicting advice. Most simply don’t know what’s best for their health and for that of their child. For some women, like Natasha Tracy, it’s easier to rule out pregnancy altogether. And this isn’t surprising: as recently as a decade ago, the general advice was that women…
Read more > Bipolar disorder and pregnancy: to treat, or not to treat?
There’s no question that healthcare professionals and mothers-to-be have many questions when it comes to taking medicines during pregnancy. So who’s breaking new ground in the search for answers to these questions? The Obstetric-Fetal Pharmacology Research Units Network is one organization. It’s a network of sites across four US universities that investigate the effects of drugs in pregnant and breastfeeding…
Read more > Digging deeper: how the OPRU is uncovering pregnancy taboos
Medicines don’t make it to the market by accident. There’s a lengthy approval process, clinical trials, and extensive testing to ensure their benefits outweigh any potential risks. But what happens when it comes to supplements? Just because they don’t fall into what patients traditionally perceive as “medicines” does it mean that they’re safe for use during pregnancy? There are many…
Read more > How much is enough? Vitamin supplements in pregnancy
In a newly released video, shot at TEDxBrussels on October 28th, Lode Dewulf offers a rallying call for change in the area of pregnancy and medical treatment. Dewulf, who has 25 years of pharmaceutical medical experience, told the audience, “Throughout the world, pregnant women are denied their basic rights simply because they are pregnant.” With recent statistics revealing that 90%…
Read more > A TEDx Talk on Pregnancy Taboos: a Call for Change
Dr. Anne Drapkin Lyerly, an obstetrician/gynecologist, researcher, bioethicist and author, is one of the founders of the Second Wave Initiative. Founded in 2009, the Second Wave Initiative aims to offer scientifically responsible solutions to pregnant women in need of medical treatment. We spoke to her to hear more about what she’s doing. Why did you decide to found the Second…
Like other experts, Carl Weiner, M.D. and professor in Gynecology and Obstetrics at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, states that the use of medication during pregnancy is a neglected area of research. In April 2013, he published "The Complete Guide to Medications During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding". In an interview with the University of Kansas Medical Center, Weiner shares…
Read more > Medication during pregnancy: a neglected area of research
