The link between between antidepressants and birth defects has been explored for years, with some studies pointing to an elevated risk. Recently, the British Medical Journal (BMJ) published a study showing that Prozac and Paxil were associated with a higher risk of birth defects, including heart abnormalities, abdominal wall abnormalities and missing brain and skull defects.
“If you’re planning to get pregnant, it really is important to talk with your health care provider to see if there are options and if you could choose a safer option among antidepressants,” said lead author and epidemiologist Jennita Reefhuis, according to NPR. “Of course, not all antidepressants work the same for everybody, so that’s something that women need to consult with their health care provider about.”
To conduct the study, researchers looked at data on more than 38,000 women who gave birth between 1997 and 2009. The mothers were questioned about antidepressant use in the month before getting pregnant and in the first trimester. Findings showed that Paxil and Prozac were associated with a 2 to 3.5-fold increased risk. Other antidepressants, including Zoloft, Celexa and Lexapro, were not shown to elevate the risk of birth defects in this study.
Paxil was found to increase the absolute risk of anencephaly, or malformation of the brain and skull, from 2 to 7 per 10,000 births in children who were exposed to Paxil early in pregnancy. The risk of a heart defect rose from 10 to 24 per 10,000 births. Reefhuis said that “the overall risk is still small” according to NPR. Although antidepressant use has been linked to a higher risk of birth defects in a number of studies, women should not discontinue treatment without first speaking to their physician.
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from Parker Waichman http://www.yourlawyer.com/blog/prozac-paxil-linked-to-higher-risk-of-birth-defects-in-new-study/
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