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People suffering from perinatal and postpartum depression need support, and coping strategies that go beyond medications, experts say. Research, including a new study at Northwestern University, shows that medications are not always effective in treating postpartum depression. Researchers involved in this study include Northwestern faculty members Jody Ciolino, PhD, Catherine Stika, MD, Dorothy Sit, MD, Sheehan Fisher, PhD, Crystal Clark, MD, Sheehan Fisher, PhD, Alfred L. George, MD, Michael J. Avram, PhD, Laura Rasmussen-Torvik, PhD, Katherine Wisner, MD, and Jacqueline K. Gollan, PhD.

A serious bout of COVID-19 can prompt a serious loss of brain power, new research warns, triggering a drop in IQ that’s equivalent to aging from 50 to 70 in a matter of months. According to Dr. Colin Franz, assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation and neurology, “As a physician who regularly sees people post-COVID, I am not surprised that there are persistent mental health issues like memory or concentration in the months after hospitalization. This is one of the more common concerns our ‘long-COVID’ patients bring to us.” Franz’s advice for those with persistent brain health issues post-COVID is to seek help from a comprehensive post-COVID clinic.

Although the COVID vaccines are highly effective at preventing serious illness, hospitalization and death from the virus, it is possible to experience symptomatic illness. Experts say BA.2 symptoms don’t seem to be that different from Omicron or Delta. “This is the same virus, SARS coronavirus 2, so we’re seeing the same symptoms,” Dr. Michael Angarone, associate professor of medicine in infectious diseases at Northwestern University, shared.

The Biden administration is warning the United States could see 100 million coronavirus infections and a potentially significant wave of deaths this fall and winter, driven by new omicron subvariants that have shown a remarkable ability to escape immunity. Further, the projected summer wave in the South, is particularly concerning because of the region’s lower vaccination and booster rates. “We’re seeing a very high rate of cases in the South during the summer moths, possibly because so many people are inside because its so hot there,” said Mercedes Carnethon, epidemiologist at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

Cold temperatures and decreased sunlight can result in decreased motivation and access to stimulating activity and exercise, said Dr. Sheehan Fisher, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “We are vulnerable to start to have ‘winter blues’ during the winter months, but some individuals have more severe symptoms that recur regularly during the winter months that may indicate seasonal affective disorder.” Fisher said treatments such as light therapy and behavioral psychotherapy are possible solutions that can help alleviate negative feelings associated with dreary weather.

For decades, the participants in clinical trials for new drugs and medical devices haven’t accurately represented the diverse groups of patients they were designed for. One commonly cited reason for this lack of representation is that people have color have lingering feelings of mistrust toward the medical field. But blaming the disproportionately low numbers of Black participants in clinical trials on medical mistrust is an easy answer to a much more complicated issue, says Clyde Yancy, MD, professor of medicine (cardiology) and medical social sciences. Yancy also shares that many trials add financial barriers and don’t provide proper transportation for participants who may live far away. The diversity of the study team itself – the institutions, researchers and recruiters – also contributes to a lack of diversity in the participant pool.

While menopause itself may not add pounds to your body, there are plenty of things that happen during this stage of life that can make it harder to maintain a stable weight. Two of the biggest reasons for this include you’re more likely to be exhausted and you’re not in the mood. Both of those may be intricately connected to the hot flashes of menopause, says Lauren Streicher, MD, clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology. Hot flashes can result in sleep disruption, as well as affect levels of leptin and ghrelin in the brain, which are hormones that tell you whether you are hungry or full.

About 1 in 5 women have trouble getting pregnant, and IVF has become a common path to parenthood for many. But even as demand grows, insurance coverage remains limited. Only 27% of companies with 500 ore more employees covered IVF in 2020. “Infertility is a disease and should be treated as such, and insurance coverages should reflect that,” said Dr. Kara Goldman, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University. “Coverage is often incomplete because people too often don’t see infertility as equal to other diseases.”

With high levels of tree pollen now in the air and the highly-contagious COVID variants spreading this spring, it can be increasingly difficult to identify the reason behind your runny nose or fatigue. Health officials say the best way to identify the source of your symptoms is through testing. “When in doubt, I would say test up before you actually go and expose other people,” says Dr. Sai Nimmagadda, professor of pediatrics (allergy and immunology) at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. For those experiencing a fever, chances are it may not be allergies. “For COVID specifically, you can get fevers, which you don’t usually get with environmental allergies” says Dr. Ruchi Gupta, professor of pediatrics and medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

For years, pediatricians have followed flawed guidelines linking race to risk for urinary infections and newborn jaundice. In a new policy, the American Academy of Pediatrics said it is putting all its guidance under the microscope to eliminate “race-based” medicine and resulting health disparities. Dr. Nia Heard-Garris, assistant professor of pediatrics, noted that the new policy includes a brief history “how how some of our frequently used clinical aids have come to be – via pseudoscience and racism.” Whatever the intent, these aids have harmed patients she said.