Section - Video Lectures

01. Postpartum Psychiatric Disorders: A Brief Review

Published on August 1, 2021 Expired on April 1, 2025

Lauren Osborne, M.D.

Vice Chair of Clinical Research in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Weill Cornell Medicine

Key Points

The postpartum period is a time of heightened vulnerability to psychiatric illness.
Vulnerability may be related to hormonal changes, but it is not directly caused by them.
Women with postpartum psychiatric illness have a unique vulnerability to normal hormonal changes.
Postpartum psychiatric illness can have devastating effects on women, children, and families.
Treating postpartum psychiatric illness is paramount.
In many cases, medications will have to be administered while breastfeeding.

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Slides and Transcript

Slide 1 of 16

Hello. I'm very pleased to be here today to talk to you about the use of psychotropic drugs in lactation. My name is Lauren Osborne and I'm an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and also Gynecology and Obstetrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. I work in the Women's Mood Disorder Center and work specifically on the treatment of women during pregnancy and postpartum.

Postpartum Psychiatric Disorders: A Brief Review Slide 1 of 16

Slide 2 of 16

So, we're going to go through a great deal of material today about the use of psychotropic drugs in lactation. First, we're going to go over an overview of postpartum psychiatric disorders, talk a bit about the benefits of breastfeeding, and the stages of lactogenesis. We'll talk about guidelines and labels for using medications during breastfeeding. We'll talk about tools to estimate infant exposure and to understand adverse reactions that could occur to an infant during breastfeeding. And then, we'll talk about specific classes of medications, antidepressants, antipsychotics, stimulants, benzodiazepines, and mood stabilizers and how we can use these drugs safely during breastfeeding. Finally, we'll just bring it all home with some take-home messages.

Postpartum Psychiatric Disorders: A Brief Review Slide 2 of 16

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02. Benefits of Breastfeeding and Stages of Lactogenesis

Learning Objectives:

After completing this activity, the learner will be able to:

Assess the risks and benefits of breastfeeding while the mother is using psychotropics.
Describe the tools for calculating the amount of exposure for the infant.
Decide whether breastfeeding is safe on a case-by-case basis.

Original Release Date: 08/01/2021

Review and Re-release Date: 03/01/2024

Expiration Date: 04/01/2025

Expert: Lauren Osborne, M.D.

Medical Editor: Lorena Rodriguez, M.D

Relevant Financial Disclosures:

None of the faculty, planners, and reviewers for this educational activity have relevant financial relationship(s) to disclose during the last 24 months with ineligible companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.

Contact Information: For questions regarding the content or access to this activity, contact us at support@psychopharmacologyinstitute.com

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Participants must complete the activity online during the valid credit period that is noted above.

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Complete the Post Activity Evaluation for providing the necessary feedback for continuing accreditation purposes and for the development of future activities. NOTE: Completing the Post Activity Evaluation after the quiz is required to receive the earned credit.
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Accreditation Statement

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the joint providership of Medical Academy LLC and the Psychopharmacology Institute. Medical Academy is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Credit Designation Statement

Medical Academy designates this enduring activity for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.