Paxil Warnings For Pregnant Women

South Beach, FLWomen who believe their babies were affected by Paxil side effects involving serious birth defects are expressing concern that the antidepressant they took may have caused their child's health problems. Their concerns may be based on warnings released by both the Food and Drug Administration and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists about possible Paxil birth defects. The organizations caution women who are pregnant to be careful about what medications they take. For some women, however, those warnings may have come too late.

"My son was born with a hole is his heart and one ventricle seemed to be pumping harder then the other," writes Rachel (not her real name) to LawyersandSettlements. "He was also born with hydronephrosis [distention of the kidneys] caused by a double blockage in his ureter, and [he] had an extremely long ureter. His first year of life he had a few surgeries and a near fatal infection that sent him home on IV antibiotics for over a month. It was a long first year."

Rachel writes that her son was exposed to Paxil during the first month and a half of her pregnancy, before she knew she was pregnant.

Sandra (not her real name) writes that she was prescribed Paxil for depression while pregnant. "My daughter was diagnosed after birth with a heart murmur. She was also born six weeks premature and stayed in a NICU for the first two weeks of her life," Sandra writes.

Paxil has been the source of debate in the past few years as researchers have disagreed over whether or not the antidepressant is linked to a significantly increased risk of birth defects. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was concerned enough to change Paxil's category from C to D. Category D reflects that Paxil may cause birth defects in babies who were exposed to Paxil prior to birth.

The concern was also serious enough that on December 1, 2006, The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' (ACOG) Committee on Obstetric Practice released its opinion that the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIS, a class of drug that includes Paxil) "should be individualized based on their respective risks and benefits." Furthermore, the Committee advised that Paxil, "be avoided, when possible, by pregnant women or women planning to become pregnant due to the potential risk of fetal heart defects, newborn persistent pulmonary hypertension, and other negative effects."

Finally, the committee notes, "Unpublished data regarding the use of Paxil during the first trimester of pregnancy have raised concerns about an increased risk of congenital heart malformations."