SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors)
Every day, thousands of people depend on selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), popular and commonly prescribed psychotherapeutic agents, typically prescribed to treat depression, anxiety disorders and personality disorders.
However, SSRIs have the potential to cause devastating complications, including birth defects when mothers take these drugs while pregnant.
Potential SSRI drug birth defects include:
1. Cardiac birth defects: septal heart defects, pulmonary valve stenosis and left ventricular outflow defects (aortic valve stenosis, subvalveular aortic stenosis and supravalvular aortic stenosis)
2. Abdominal birth defects: including omphalocele (organs on the outside of the body), gastroschisis (protruding intestines) and pyloric stenosis (blockage preventing stomach from draining). The New England Journal of Medicine in June 2007 found that use of SSRI drugs in the first trimester doubled the risk of club foot, anal atresia, diaphragmatic hernia and limb reduction defects. Another study, the National Birth Defects Prevention Study showed the risk of anencephaly, crainosynostosis and omphlocele were doubled with use
3. Cranial birth defects: including crainosynostosis (joints in skull close prematurely) and anencephaly (absence of a major portion of the brain, skull and scalp resulting in still birth)
4. Respiratory defects: particularly Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN) which means the ductus does not close and the baby’s blood flow bypasses the lungs like it did before birth (caused by third trimester exposure). The FDA in July 2006 issued a warning that said women who took SSRI’s are six times more likely to give birth to a child with PPHN.
5. Other defects: including club foot, cystic kidney, cleft lip and palate, spina bifida, hypospadius (abnormal opening in the penis), atresia (absence or abnormal closure) of the anus, esophagus or intestines
SSRIs that may cause birth defects or other problems:
- Paxil
- Zoloft
- Prozac
- Wellbutrin
- Fluoxetine
- Effexor
- Luvox
- Celexa
- Lexapro
- Serzone
- Remeron
If you or a loved one suffered using an SSRI, contact us.
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