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A new study, published in the January 12 issue of the British Medical Journal, adds more evidence that antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, when used during pregnancy, can increase the chances that the newborn will have a life-threatening lung defect known as persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN).
More evidence supports the theory that exposure to a class of antidepressants during the first trimester of pregnancy increases the risk for major congenital anomalies, particularly cardiac defects. A Finnish study conducted by the Teratology Information Service at the Helsinki University Central Hospital confirms the results of other research showing increased risks for specific birth defects in fetuses exposed to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, during gestation.
The prescribing information for the antidepressant Paxil (paroxetine HCL) has been updated to include a warning of fertility impairment in men. The warning includes Paxil tablets, oral solution and CR tablets. Clinical studies have shown that Paxil as well as other drugs in its class may affect sperm quality during treatment, which may affect fertility in some men.
GlaxoSmithKline has awarded millions of dollars in compensation to women who took the antidepressant Paxil (paroxetine) while pregnant and delivered babies with serious birth defects.
A new study confirms that women who use selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) during pregnancy have an increased risk of delivering a baby with major congenital abnormalities, including cardiac defects. The study was published in the July issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Depression is a serious condition and affects about 10 to 20 percent of pregnant women. One of the most common treatments are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs. At one time, the safety of SSRIs treatment during pregnancy and potential risk for the fetus and newborn were unquestioned. However, in the late 2005, of some alarming data concerning possible birth defects began to surface, putting into question the safety of SSRIs on fetuses, according to a review of data by French researchers.
It has been nearly six years since the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first warned consumers that studies linked the antidepressant Paxil (paroxetine) with an increased risk of birth defects, particularly heart defects, when women take it during the first three months of pregnancy. Since then, additional studies have reinforced the need to warn users of these potential consequences.
Men who take the antidepressant paroxetine (brand names Paxil or Seroxat) have an increased risk of abnormal sperm DNA that may make it more difficult for them to impregnate a woman, according to Health News Digest.
Washington, DC — The use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors for the treatment of depression during pregnancy should be individualized based on their respective risks and benefits, according to a new Committee Opinion issued by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ (ACOG) Committee on Obstetric Practice. The Committee also advised that a particular SSRI medication known as paroxetine (Paxil®) be avoided, when possible, by pregnant women or women planning to become pregnant due to the potential risk of fetal heart defects, newborn persistent pulmonary hypertension, and other negative effects.
