The Risks Associated With Maternal Antidepressant Use During the Prenatal and Postnatal Stages of Development

2010 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 86-98
Author(s):  
Jeanne M. Stolzer
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Maternal Depression ◽  
Rare Condition ◽  
The United States ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Scientific Validity ◽  
Nursing Mothers ◽  
History Of ◽  
Antidepressant Use

Over the past decade, maternal antidepressant use has skyrocketed in the United States. Maternal depression, which was once categorized as an extremely rare condition, is now the leading cause of disability in American women aged 18 to 44 (Stewart, 2005). In spite of the published data that document the risks associated with antidepressant use in maternal and pediatric populations, physicians throughout the United States continue to prescribe these drugs to pregnant and lactating women. Never before in the history of humankind have we witnessed the intentional drugging of pregnant women and nursing mothers in order to alleviate specific emotional feelings. This unprecedented drugging of maternal populations has led many in the scientific community to question the reliability of current-day depression assessments, as many scholars have pointed out that the available assessment tools are highly subjective and lack scientific validity. The goal of this article is to offer a scientifically sound alternative to the current medical model’s definition and treatment of maternal depression and to explore the historical, neurological, hormonal, familial, political, economical, and cultural correlates that have been associated with maternal depression in the United States.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Valid Medical Condition or Culturally Constructed Myth?

2009 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Stolzer
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Attention Deficit ◽  
Medical Condition ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
The United States ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Scientific Validity ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Definition Of

Over the last decade, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) diagnoses have increased dramatically in the United States. This unprecedented increase in ADHD across America has prompted scholars from various fields to question the scientific validity of this relatively recent childhood disorder. This article openly challenges the definition of ADHD as a legitimate medical condition and presents scientific evidence that corroborates the risks associated with prescribing dangerous and addictive drugs in order to control historically documented childhood behavior. According to published data, ADHD diagnoses have reached epidemic proportions in the United States—particularly among young males. Employing a multifaceted theoretical approach, ADHD typed behaviors will be defined not as a “neurobehavioral disorder,” but as highly adaptive strategies that have ensured the survival of hominid species across evolutionary time. Dissenting from the DSM’s medical definition of ADHD, this article provides scientific evidence that substantiates the economic and cultural factors that are associated with the ever increasing rates of ADHD diagnoses in America.

The ADHD Epidemic in America

2007 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Stolzer
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Medical Model ◽  
The United States ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
Normal Range ◽  
Scientific Validity ◽  
Adhd Assessment ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
United States Today

Over the last decade, ADHD diagnoses have reached epidemic proportions in the United States. Behaviors that were once considered normal range are now currently defined as pathological by those with a vested interest in promoting the widespread use of psychotropic drugs in child and adolescent populations. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most commonly diagnosed “mental illness” in children in the United States today, and approximately 99% of children diagnosed as ADHD are prescribed daily doses of methylphenidate in order to control undesirable behaviors. This article openly challenges the scientific validity and reliability of current ADHD assessment tools and questions the ethics involved in prescribing dangerous and addictive drugs to children. In addition, particular attention will be given to familial, political, economical, biological, ethological, historical, and evolutionary correlates as they relate to the myth of ADHD in America. The goal of this article is to offer a theoretically sound alternative to the current medical model and to challenge the existing ADHD paradigm that pathologizes historically documented, normal-range child behavioral patterns.

Review of A brief history of the United States.

1919 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 414-414
Author(s):  
No authorship indicated
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
History Of

An American Language

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosina Lozano
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
National Policy ◽  
The United States ◽  
Spanish Language ◽  
Spanish Speakers ◽  
Language Recognition ◽  
Political Language ◽  
Political Issue ◽  
History Of ◽  
The U.S

An American Language is a political history of the Spanish language in the United States. The nation has always been multilingual and the Spanish language in particular has remained as an important political issue into the present. After the U.S.-Mexican War, the Spanish language became a language of politics as Spanish speakers in the U.S. Southwest used it to build territorial and state governments. In the twentieth century, Spanish became a political language where speakers and those opposed to its use clashed over what Spanish's presence in the United States meant. This book recovers this story by using evidence that includes Spanish language newspapers, letters, state and territorial session laws, and federal archives to profile the struggle and resilience of Spanish speakers who advocated for their language rights as U.S. citizens. Comparing Spanish as a language of politics and as a political language across the Southwest and noncontiguous territories provides an opportunity to measure shifts in allegiance to the nation and exposes differing forms of nationalism. Language concessions and continued use of Spanish is a measure of power. Official language recognition by federal or state officials validates Spanish speakers' claims to US citizenship. The long history of policies relating to language in the United States provides a way to measure how U.S. visions of itself have shifted due to continuous migration from Latin America. Spanish-speaking U.S. citizens are crucial arbiters of Spanish language politics and their successes have broader implications on national policy and our understanding of Americans.

Clinical Characteristics of Patients Diagnosed with Strongyloidiasis in a United States Urban Outpatient Dermatology Department: A Case Series

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 156-160
Author(s):  
Jacqueline Watchmaker ◽  
Sean Legler ◽  
Dianne De Leon ◽  
Vanessa Pascoe ◽  
Robert Stavert
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Case Series ◽  
The United States ◽  
Screening Tools ◽  
Dermatology Department ◽  
Cutaneous Manifestations ◽  
Serologic Testing ◽  
Patient Reported ◽  
History Of ◽  
Endemic Areas

Background: Although considered a tropical disease, strongyloidiasis may be encountered in non-endemic regions, primarily amongst immigrants and travelers from endemic areas.  Chronic strongyloides infection may be under-detected owing to its non-specific cutaneous presentation and the low sensitivity of commonly used screening tools. Methods: 18 consecutive patients with serologic evidence of strongyloides infestation who presented to a single urban, academic dermatology clinic between September 2013 and October 2016 were retrospectively included.  Patient age, sex, country of origin, strongyloides serology titer, absolute eosinophil count, presenting cutaneous manifestations, and patient reported subjective outcome of pruritus after treatment were obtained via chart review.  Results: Of the 18 patients, all had non-specific pruritic dermatoses, 36% had documented eosinophila and none were originally from the United States. A majority reported subjective improvement in their symptoms after treatment. Conclusion:  Strongyloides infection and serologic testing should be considered in patients living in non-endemic regions presenting with pruritic dermatoses and with a history of exposure to an endemic area.Key Points:Chronic strongyloidiasis can be encountered in non-endemic areas and clinical manifestations are variableEosinophilia was not a reliable indicator of chronic infection in this case series Dermatologists should consider serologic testing for strongyloidiasis in patients with a history of exposure and unexplained pruritus

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