We know now that pregnancy does not "protect" women from new or recurring psychiatric disorders. Further, clinicians know addressing the disorders of women who are pregnant or nursing requires meticulous attention and the delicate balancing of risks because either delaying or administering treatment could cause harm to mothers, children, and families. Addressing a range of critical areas that inform the clinical care of women of childbearing age, contributors of these five articles describe the course of psychiatric illness during pregnancy and postpartum, diagnosis and treatment of mood and anxiety disorders in pregnancy, management of bipolar disorder, postpartum mood disorders, and the use of antidepressants and mood stabilizers in nursing mothers. Annotation ©2005 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Tags: mood and anxiety disorders during pregnancy and postpartum