Dr. Verinda Sharma recently researched the effect of pregnancy on bipolar disorder, a mood disorder with a period of mania or hypomania followed by one or more depressive episodes. Bipolar disorder is more common in females, and severe mood swings are usually prominent during the peak reproductive years.
Although News in Health indicates that women diagnosed with bipolar disorder are more likely to suffer from postpartum depression than women without bipolar disorder, Dr. Sharma recently reviewed articles confined to how women with bipolar disorder feel during pregnancy. The recent review of more than 70 articles suggests that women with bipolar disorder had fewer bipolar mood swings during pregnancy, and the disorder appeared to be in remission during pregnancy. Additionally, the research revealed that pregnant women had more stable moods than women who were not pregnant.
An additional study, conducted by Dr. Sharma, will center on studying the natural progression of bipolar disorder to determine more about how pregnancy impacts bipolar disorder. See the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry and Medical News Today to learn more about the recent conclusions based on Dr. Sharma’s research.