Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C.

Eighty percent of pregnant women in America use at least one prescription or over-the-counter medication even though the safety of those drugs on fetuses is not always guaranteed, according to data from two long-running studies. Half of pregnant women said they used a medication during the first trimester of pregnancy, when the fetus is developing. In comparison, 30 years ago, only 30 percent of women used over-the-counter or prescription drugs during the first trimester of pregnancy.

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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.

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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.

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Manie’s parents want answers. Their beautiful son was born with transposition of the greater arteries and endured surgeries children should never have to experience. His parents blame GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), makers of the antidepressant Paxil.

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Women who experience symptoms of depression prior to becoming pregnant have an increased risk of preterm birth, but black women who are depressed are at greater risk of delivering a preterm baby than white women, according to a report in the Journal of Women’s Health.

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The B vitamin folic acid has long been touted for its ability to reduce the occurrence of neural tube birth defects such as spina bifida and anencephaly when taken by the mother before and during pregnancy. Now it is being credited for possibly reducing babies’ risk for heart defects, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

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Depression initiative BeyondBlue is working in conjunction with the Australian government to push routine testing for expectant mothers to gauge their risk for suffering from postpartum depression, according to TheAge.com.au.

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News of frustrating and sometimes serious side effects to antidepressants can be enough to motivate one to wean oneself off the medication. New reports show SSRIs have been linked to suicidal thoughts, a Parkinsons-like condition known as Tardive Dyskinesia, and serious birth defects in infants born to women who took SSRIs during pregnancy. But coming off antidepressants is not always easy and if done improperly can cause uncomfortable withdrawal effects, also known as SSRI discontinuation syndrome.

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There are several factors a woman should consider before trying to conceive, according to the March of Dimes, a voluntary health organization whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects and infant mortality.

One of the most important is to see your health care provider before getting pregnant so that she can evaluate your health and identify any health or lifestyle risks that may affect your pregnancy.

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Women who are depressed and women who take antidepressants during pregnancy may face a greater risk of delivering their baby prematurely, according to a recent study in the American Journal of Psychiatry and cited in Health magazine.

For the study, researchers observed a group of 300 pregnant women, most of whom did not suffer from depression but some either had a history of depression or reported becoming depressed during pregnancy. Of those observed, some took medication to treat their depression either for part of their pregnancy or for the entire pregnancy; some did not take medication and remained depressed; and some did not take medication and reported being depressed for only part of their pregnancy.

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