According to a recent New York Times Healthy Consumer blog, 14 percent of pregnant women take antidepressants. This demonstrates most people are unaware of the risks of taking certain medication during a pregnancy. Paxil, for one, has recently been strongly discouraged by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for being a possible cause of birth defects.
What Are the Dangers That SSRIs Pose to Pregnant Women?
The blog that I mention also states that SSRIs are more dangerous to a woman and fetus during pregnancy than depression itself, despite previous beliefs to the contrary. Some of the dangers of SSRIs are the following:
- Drugs, once taken, do not only affect the mother, but also reach the fetus. As these drugs alter how the brain works, these can have a major impact on the fetus, as the brain is in the process of forming. In all, the interruption of the brain neurons can play a role in disrupting the growth of the lungs and the heart.
- Autism, according to John Hopkins University, is much more likely to be found in a child born from a mother who was taking SSRIs during pregnancy. The same goes with other autism spectrum disorders.
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is about twice as likely to occur in children born from a mother on SSRIs.
- Intellectual disabilities are common, such as language development difficulties.
- Premature births are more likely to occur with mothers on SSRIs than with depressed mothers that are not on medication.
This is only a sample of the dangers posed to pregnant women who take SSRIs. Despite these risks, it is strongly advised that mothers do not abruptly quit taking their medication, but rather seek doctor’s supervision on the best process for you to get off the drug.
Was Your Child Injured Due to Bad Medicine?
For many, news of the potential dangers of SSRIs is too late or never explained at all. If your child has a birth defect due to pharmaceutical incompetence, then we can give you the compassionate and personal legal advice you need in a troubling time. Contact our birth injury and cerebral palsy lawyers today.
Source: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/09/01/possible-risks-of-s-s-r-i-antidepressants-to-newborns/
