SSRI Antidepressants May Lead to Early Birth, Seizures
May 31st, 2012 tmccoy
When pregnant women take antidepressants, their babies may be more likely to be born early or have a seizure soon after birth, according to a recently published large U.S. study.
SSRI antidepressants include drugs sold under the names Paxil, Prozac, Celexa, Lexapro, and Zoloft. SSRIs block the reabsorption (reuptake) of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain to boost mood. Research has already linked these medications to birth defects and other issues when they are used by pregnant women, especially in the early months of pregnancy when many women don’t realize they are pregnant.
The most recent findings of lower birth weight and shorter term labor were published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology. Researchers are not yet sure if the antidepressants are actually the cause of these dangers. However, the safest thing for your baby is to not take any antidepressants at all during pregnancy.
The study of 229,000 Tennessee new moms found that babies born to mothers who took antidepressants during their second trimester were more likely to be born early. Babies born to mothers who took antidepressants during their third trimester were more likely to have seizures, which are very rare for newborns to have. They are so rare in fact that the increase in the number of seizures is very small, and that those seizures rarely cause any harm. All of the women in the study had been on an antidepressant before pregnancy. 75% of the women stopped their antidepressant use before the second trimester.
Source – The Chicago Tribute
