Pregnant women who suffer from depression may put their babies at risk if they use antidepressants says a new study from researchers in Massachusetts. According to Dr. Adam Urato of the MetroWest Medical Center in Framingham and Dr. Alice Domar of the Harvard Medical School, these drugs not only put unborn babies at risk but are often ineffective for pregnant women.
For their research, the pair reviewed previously collected data on selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors like Prozac, Zoloft and Paxil. They found that women who used these drugs were more likely to have babies that suffered from heart defects, anencephaly, cleft lip and palate, and respiratory distress.
"Study after study shows increased rates of newborn complications in those babies who were exposed to SSRIs in utero. The (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) and Health Canada have put out warnings specifically regarding this issue," Urato tells the U.K.'s Telegraph.
Their data was published this week in the journal Human Reproduction.
by RTT Staff Writer
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