New Study Reaffirms the Risks of Prozac Birth Defects

Rockville, MDIn the latest update to a study of potential Prozac birth defects conducted last month, Science Daily reports that women who take selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) medications while pregnant face a greater risk of premature delivery.

span itemprop="image" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/ImageObject" style="display:block">The new report, published earlier this month on the popular science magazine's website, finds that of the 11 percent of the women observed who delivered preterm babies, 62 percent had taken antidepressants during the first half of their pregnancy. The report draws information from hospitals at the University of Washington, University of Michigan and Michigan State, all of which corroborate the correlation between the presence of antidepressants in expectant mothers and premature child birth.

The use of SSRIs has also been linked to Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension in the Newborn (PPHN), a potentially fatal lung disorder that can cause shortness of breath, chest pain, and fatigue among other difficulties.

"Women with depression face difficult decisions regarding the benefits and risks of using psychotropic medications in pregnancy," WU's own Amelia Gavin tells Newsinferno.com. "Therefore, a focus on disentangling medication effects and depression effects on mother and offspring health should be a major clinical priority."