The Effects of Antidepressants on Babies

Pregnancy sometimes causes depression but taking antidepressants while pregnant proved bothersome for women.  Spreading in the news like wildfire, the risks associated in using antidepressants is a hot topic.  Complaints about those drugs have caught the attention of the Food and Drug Administration .  Purchasing antidepressants is easy because many of its formulations are available in the market.  Depressed men and women are not the only ones who use antidepressants but also those that are suffering from diabetes. Simultaneous treatment of depression and diabetes , as was seen in many researches.

Because of the increasing number of men and women taking antidepressants, the FDA has been trying to warn the public of the possible risks. Toward creating new markets and increasing acceptability among women, some pharmaceutical companies are even marketing antidepressants that are safe to take during

SSRIs Causes High Risk of Nueral Tube Defects among New Born

There is a slight increase in risk of neural tube defects among babies exposed to selective seretonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), according to a new analysis based on national data from Finland.  According to a study, about 22 out of 10,000 babies were born with the defect compared to only 9 out of 10,000 babies born to mothers who didn't take SSRIs.

The increased risk of heart defects that occurred among those whose mothers had used not only used SSRIs such as Prozac but also Zoloft and Celexa has reached nearly 500,000 Danish children, a recent study quoted Dr. Heli Malm as saying.

Zoloft Birth Defects Include Autism

Zoloft is an antidepressant medication that has been linked with autism spectrum disorder. Autism spectrum disorder is a complex developmental disability which can cause problems with communication and social interaction. Though autism has no known cure, treatments can be made to minimize the symptoms of the condition. Some of these treatments are behavioural therapies to reinforce positive behaviour and remove or minimize unwanted ones. These therapies can also be in conjunction with medications just like talk therapies and antidepressants in kids with OCD.

Symptoms of Autism

Generally, these signs and symptoms are seen in people with autism regardless of the severity of the condition.

Zoloft and Antidepressants' Effect on Pregnancy

When a woman gets pregnant, she cannot always expect an ideal pregnancy. Sometimes, situations arise that need immediate attention and medical treatment. In cases when a pregnant patient is diagnosed to have mood disorders or depression, a doctor may give her medication to address this problem. These medication could come in a class of drug known as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) like Zoloft, which is now said to link to miscarriage among pregnant women.

Doctors prescribe Zoloft to patients to treat a variety of disorders such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, social anxiety disorder, and panic attacks. Zoloft is manufactured by leading pharmaceutical company, Pfizer, and is a popular antidepressant. However, there are emerging studies that link this drug to several birth defects in newborns born to women who took this medicine during pregnancy.

Studies Reveal Risks for Infants whose Mothers take Zoloft

Recent studies on the serious side effects of the antidepressant drug Zoloft reveal that mothers who took the drug during their pregnancy may give birth to a child with defects.

Zoloft which is manufactured by Pfizer, Inc. is a selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor (SSRI) used to treat several disorders because of its ability to increase the serotonin level in the brain.  Among the disorders that could be treated with Zoloft as approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are depression, social anxiety disorder, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic disorder, premenstrual dyphoric disorder (PMDD) in patients 18 years old and above and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) among patients aged 6-17 years old.