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Are Anti-Depressants Safe during Pregnancy?

Monday, June 8th, 2009 by:

As if there wasn’t enough for moms-to-be to worry about, now we can’t even get depressed. Or, if we do feel down, we can’t do anything about it.

Until recently doctors advised that it was okay for pregnant women to take drugs such as Paxil, Prozac and Zoloft to help ease depression. But a flurry of recent reports are challenging the safety of antidepressants for unborn babies. Most famously, three independent studies have found that Paxil can triple a baby’s risk of developing a heart defect. The risk is still less than one in 500, but if you’re that one mother the effects can be devastating.

Studies have also found that Paxil and other anti-depressant drugs can increase the risk of miscarriage and the chance that your baby will be born prematurely. Most doctors now warn that pregnant women should avoid Paxil and most anti-depressant drugs throughout their pregnancy except for extreme cases. If you suffer from depression, and are planning to have a baby, you should speak with your doctor about alternatives before trying to conceive.

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One Response to “Are Anti-Depressants Safe during Pregnancy?”

  1. Dentists Abilene Says:
    December 6th, 2009 at 10:30 pm

    This is informative. Doctors are generally cautious about prescribing antidepressants during pregnancy or breast feeding due to their potential risk to the foetus and infant. Women with mood disorders commonly avoid taking psychotropic medication while they are attempting to conceive or while they are pregnant or breast feeding for the fear of harming their infants.