The fact that women who take these medications during their pregnancy might risk having a baby with defects is well known and has been discussed, even though some of these medicines appear to be safer than others.
In order to offer more answers, federal data on more than 38,000 women who gave birth between 1997 and 2009, has been analyzed by the researchers at the Center of Disease Control and Prevention.
HOW DANGEROUS ARE ANTIDEPRESSANTS?
Even though this was an association study, and it doesn’t prove that the medications caused the birth problems. After checking the number of birth defects among babies, and asking the women if they took any antidepressants during their pregnancy or in the month before getting pregnant, the investigators came with some interesting explanations.
Therefore, according to the study published in BMJ, the use of some antidepressants might increase the risks of birth defects, while others may not pose such a high risk, after all.
There wasn’t any connection found between birth defects and the following medications: antidepressants citalopram (Celexa), sertraline (Zoloft) and escitalopram (Lexapro).
However, some other medications, like fluoxetine (Prozac) or paroxetine (Paxil) appear to be quite dangerous.
WHAT SHOULD PREGNANT WOMEN DO?
The defects that can be caused by such antidepressants are various. A child might be born with heart defects or abdominal wall defects, as well as brain and skull defects. There has also been a link found between certain antidepressants and ADHD.
This is why the safest thing to do for any pregnant woman is to ask a physician before taking any kind of medication
As stated before, if you are pregnant or planning to have a baby, a discussion with your healthcare provider is mandatory. Stress and depression can also harm both you and your baby, so an opinion from a doctor is necessary when deciding what is best for the both of you.
Not all antidepressants are very dangerous to fetuses, and they also work differently for each person. This is why you should see a health professional who will help you make the right decision.
