Proceedings from Motherisk Update 2008. Introduction: reproductive mental health.

On May 7th 2008, our annual Motherisk Update was devoted to reproductive mental health, which is a part of life for many women of child bearing age. Presentations were delivered by experts in the fields of psychiatry, maternal/fetal pharmacology and obstetrics. Our goal was to improve patient care for a population that is particularly vulnerable to misinformation and the stigma that surrounds mental illness. The topics presented, included the prevalence of depression and other psychiatric illnesses during pregnancy and postpartum, the adverse consequences of untreated psychiatric illnesses in pregnancy and postpartum and the treatment of substance abuse which is often a comorbidity in these women. We also provided information on the risk/safety of drugs used for the treatment of these conditions in pregnancy and breastfeeding,including concerns regarding neonatal withdrawal in infants who were exposed to antidepressants during pregnancy.