Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) Can Effectively Treat Postpartum Depression

A study assessing how therapy that focuses on improving interpersonal relationships and communication skills affects postpartum depressed mothers finds that women receiving the therapy experienced a significant reduction in symptom level.

Research Exploring Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy to Prevent Depression in Pregnant/Lactating Women

Given the limited number of completely effective treatments for depressed pregnant or lactating women, new research efforts, with a focus on CBT, are underway to prevent maternal depression before it becomes disabling.

Infertility

By Sally Frances, MA, LCSW

Confronting and coping with infertility can introduce a painful set of new feelings into a marital relationship. Suddenly, there can be feelings of shame, helplessness, and rage directed at oneself, one's partner, extended family and friends.

Infertility and the Emotional Aspects of Having a Child Through Donor Eggs

By Laurel T. Kline, Psy.D.

There is typically a painful emotional transition infertile couples go through in order to make the decision to use donor eggs. The journey is somewhat different for each person due to varying individual, family and cultural values, however, there's a basic pattern that this transition process seems to follow.

Pre-Birth Bonding

By Terry M. Levy, Ph.D. and Michael Orlans, M.A.

Research and observation have demonstrated the significance of the in utero experience. This is truly the dawn of attachment, the stage in which the baby-to-be and the parents begin the process of connecting.

Smoking Hurts Odds of Successful In-Vitro Fertilization

Smoking seems to fast-forward a woman's reproductive clock and can dim her odds of becoming pregnant via in-vitro fertilization.

New Study Finds Direct Mom-Child Alcohol Link

While a mother’s alcohol use has long been linked to a variety of problems in their children, including mental retardation, developmental delays and behavioral disorders, a new study is the first to tie prenatal alcohol exposure to later drinking problems.

Study: IQ Scores Not Lower in Babies Exposed to Cocaine

Research from Case Western Reserve University in Ohio finds that babies born to mothers who used cocaine heavily during pregnancy do not have lower IQ scores than other children, as originally believed, Reuters reported May 26.

Smoking and Pregnancy: What Are the Risks?

The adverse effects of smoking may occur in every trimester of pregnancy; they range from spontaneous abortions in the first trimester to increased premature delivery rates and decreased birth weights in the final trimester. The decreased birth weights seen in infants of mothers who smoke reflects a dose-dependent relationship: the more the woman smokes during pregnancy, the greater the reduction of infant birth weight.

Smoking During Pregnancy Causes Genetic Damage

Smoking during pregnancy can damage the chromosomes of the developing fetus, putting the child at increased risk of certain cancers and other problems.

New Research Finds Depression During Pregnancy is Common

A common assumption has been that pregnancy is predominantly a time of emotional well-being and that women are protected from depression during those months--but this newest study indicates that over 10% of women suffer from depression (a very treatable condition) during pregnancy, the same as at any point in their lives.

Report Shows Healthy Decline in Smoking During Pregnancy

According to a just-released government report, smoking by pregnant women dropped by one-third in the 1990s, with a particularly sharp decline among women in their late 20s and early 30s. Health officials are, however, concerned by the growing numbers of expecting teenagers who are acting counter to this healthy trend.