Essi Whaites Heinonen
Research
My research primarily focuses on understanding the effects of chronic drug treatment used during pregnancy and breastfeeding on the mother, the infant and the breastfeeding itself.
I am a neonatologist at Karolinska University Hospital and my research background is in perinatal pharmacoepidemiology. My doctoral thesis focused on the effects of psychotropic drug treatment during pregnancy and breastfeeding on the mother and infant, and during my Postdoc stay at University of California San Diego I studied the effects of chronic drug treatment during breastfeeding on breastfeeding rates, milk composition and potential long-term effects on the breastfed infants.Currently, I am performing different projects on infant effects after maternal drug treatement during pregnancy (at Center for Pharmacoepidemiology at the Institution of Medicine), and during breastfeeding (at the division of Pediatrics at CLINTEC).
In addition to this, I am a part of the group of authors for Janusmed Fosterpåverkan, the Swedish information base for drug treatment during pregnancy.
Teaching
Lecturer in drug use during pregnancy and lactation, Läkarutbildningen Termin 10, Karolinska Institutet
Seminars in Neonatology, Läkarutbildningen Termin 10, Karolinska Institutet
Articles
- Journal article: PEDIATRIC RESEARCH. 2025;:1-10Heinonen EW; Bandoli G; Robertson B; Yonemitsu C; Bode L; Riedy H; Bertrand K; Chambers C
- Journal article: JAMA NETWORK OPEN. 2025;8(11):e2544989Heinonen EW; Kao K; Mattson SN; Chambers CD
- Article: BJOG-AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY. 2025;132(12):1772-1778Sillis L; Heinonen EW; Ceulemans M; Johnson D; Luo Y; Chambers CD
- Article: JOURNAL OF HUMAN LACTATION. 2025;41(3):412-422Heinonen EW; Johnson DL; Todd A; Chambers CD
- Article: ACTA PAEDIATRICA. 2025;114(2):346-354Alvarez I; Totterman K; Honkaniemi E; Sarman I; Back K; Forsberg L; Heinonen EW; Svedenkrans J
- Article: JAMA NETWORK OPEN. 2025;8(1):e2453332Heinonen EW; Bertrand K; Chambers C
- Article: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIPOLAR DISORDERS. 2023;11(1):36Heinonen EW; Totterman K; Back K; Sarman I; Forsberg L; Svedenkrans J
- Article: ACTA PAEDIATRICA. 2022;111(10):1891-1898Heinonen E; Totterman K; Back K; Sarman I; Svedenkrans J; Forsberg L
- Article: BMJ OPEN. 2022;12(6):e061328Heinonen E; Forsberg L; Norby U; Wide K; Kallen K
- Article: CNS DRUGS. 2022;36(5):529-539Heinonen E; Forsberg L; Norby U; Wide K; Kallen K
- Article: EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY. 2021;77(9):1323-1331Sertraline concentrations in pregnant women are steady and the drug transfer to their infants is lowHeinonen E; Blennow M; Blomdahl-Wetterholm M; Hovstadius M; Nasiell J; Pohanka A; Gustafsson LL; Wide K
- Journal article: AFRICAN JOURNAL OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE. 2014;4(2):61-65Heinonen E; Hardcastle TC; Barle H; Muckart DJJ
All other publications
- Conference publication: NEUROTOXICOLOGY AND TERATOLOGY. 2023;98:107223Heinonen E; Totterman K; Back K; Sarman I; Svedenkrans J; Forsberg L
- Conference publication: NEUROTOXICOLOGY AND TERATOLOGY. 2023;98:107196Alvarez I; Heinonen E; Svedenkrans J
- Conference publication: NEUROTOXICOLOGY AND TERATOLOGY. 2023;98:107197Totterman K; Heinonen E; Svedenkrans J
- Meeting abstract: NEUROTOXICOLOGY AND TERATOLOGY. 2022;92(107108):107108Whaites Heinonen E; Forsberg L; Nörby U; Wide K; Källén K
- Doctoral thesis: 2022Whaites Heinonen E
- Conference publication: NEUROTOXICOLOGY AND TERATOLOGY. 2022;92Wide K; Heinonen E; Blennow M; Blomdahl-Wetterholm M; Forsell E; Gustafsson LL; Hovstadius M; Kaldo V; Nordenadler E-M; Nasiell J
- Study protocol: BMJ OPEN. 2018;8(8):e023281Heinonen E; Szymanska-von Schultz B; Kaldo V; Nasiell J; Andersson E; Bergmark M; Blomdahl-Wetterholm M; Forsberg L; Forsell E; Forsgren A; Froojd S; Goldman A; Nordenadler E-M; Sklivanioti M; Blennow M; Wide K; Gustafsson LL
Grants
- The effect of chronic drug treatment on breastfeeding, the composition of breast milk and the long-term effects on the breastfed infantsThe Swedish Research Council International Postdoc1 December 2023 - 31 May 2025
Employments
- Postdoctoral Studies, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, 2025-2028
- Postdoctoral Studies, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 2025-2026
Degrees and Education
- Degree Of Doctor Of Philosophy, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, 2022
- University Medical Degree, Karolinska Institutet, 2011