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Emory School of Medicine Emory Woman's Mental Health Program
Medications in Pregnancy, Maternal Depressionm, Postpartum Depression
 Research 

The primary focus of the research program is to investigate the impact of neuropsychiatric illness during the reproductive years. This includes obstetrical outcome, early neonatal development, or long term child well-being. Equally important research that is conducted in parallel, looks at the impact of maternal illness on the same issues.

The Emory Women�s Mental Health Program is one of few academic centers that conduct research on the course and treatment of mental illness during pregnancy and the postpartum period. The Emory Program is one of the leading centers for determining the extent and impact of medication exposure during pregnancy and breastfeeding. The research program is supported by the National Institutes of Health and private donations.

Participation in research is completely voluntary and does not influence clinical care.

Currently, we have several research studies in collaboration with our colleagues at both academic institutions and in community practice. The current studies include:

Perinatal Stress and Gene Influences: Pathways to Infant Vulnerability


Pregnancy has traditionally been viewed as a time of well-being. However, there is no evidence that psychiatric illnesses such as depression or anxiety improve during pregnancy. As we continue to develop effective treatment options, many women who experienced depression or anxiety are able to resume normal lives and may choose to become pregnant. Therefore, it is important to know more about the well-being of the infants and how to increase the likelihood of healthy outcomes.

The primary goals of this research are to find out, among women who have been depressed or anxious in the past, how much of the risk for problems in the infant�s development is increased by (1) any additional depression during pregnancy or in the year after the baby is born, (2) other problems that the woman has and help she may get with those problems, and (3) changes in women�s hormone levels during pregnancy. The information learned from this study will be used in the future to plan ways to prevent the development of problems in infants whose mothers have been depressed.

Involvement in the study will cover the time from early pregnancy through the infant�s first birthday. Symptoms of depression and anxiety will be assessed during the study with monthly measurements throughout pregnancy and at five points during the first year postpartum. The infant�s functioning will also be assessed at four points over his or her first year. Approximately 750 women will take part in this study at the Women�s Mental Health Clinic at Emory.

The Impact of Maternal Depression on Infant Behavior and Salivary Cortisol


This study focuses on the way infants react to stress. Stress is represented by simple tests like exposure to white noise and pictures of faces. Six-month-old infants are placed into one of two groups - infants of depressed mothers and infants of non-depressed mothers. The study is run on Monday through Friday at 1:00 pm and lasts approximately two to two and a half hours. Participants receive vouchers for parking and compensation for their time.

Bipolar Disorder in Pregnancy & Postpartum Period: Predictors of Morbidity


Very little is known about the impact of pregnancy and the postpartum period on bipolar disorder. As a result, we have little evidence on which to base treatment guidelines. The main goal of this study is to help fill this gap by finding the risk factors for bipolar disorder relapse during pregnancy and the postpartum period. The risk factors that we will study include 1) the severity of illness in the past, 2) the type and severity of both recent and past life stressors and 3) any treatment received during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Other goals of the study are 1) to see what effect, if any, illness or any medicines that are taken during pregnancy have on the baby�s well-being at delivery, 2) to see how pregnancy alters the way that the mother�s body clears medicines that are taken for bipolar disorder, and 3) to see how much of these medicines babies are exposed to during pregnancy or breast-feeding. We believe that the information we will gather in this study will lead to new treatment guidelines for bipolar disorder during pregnancy and the postpartum period that will improve outcomes for pregnant women with bipolar disorder and their babies.

There will be 200 women who take part in this study at the Emory Women�s Mental Health Program or the Grady Psychiatric-Obstetrical Clinic. Another 200 women will take part in this study at collaborating sites at Massachusetts General Hospital and The Cleveland Clinic. Study visits will be scheduled every 4 weeks during pregnancy and every 6 weeks after delivery up to 6 months postpartum.

For the details regarding these studies or to learn more about ongoing research studies please contact our office at (404) 778-2524.

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