Paxil Birth Defects Information Center

How big is your heart?

The size of your heart is about the same size as your fist.  The size proportion of these two body parts starts from infancy and far into adulthood.  The heart is the body engine that keeps one going.  Exercise, a clean lifestyle, a healthy diet and weight will go a long way in keeping your heart fit.  However, there are cases when the heart is defective at birth, a condition known as a congenital heart defect.

What is a Congenital Heart Defect?

 A congenital heart defect is structural flaw in the heart that is present at birth.   It may cause the blood flow to slow down, go in the wrong direction, go to the wrong place, or it may block the flow completely.  Sometimes, they are referred to as cyanotic heart disease or congenital cardiovascular malformations.

Common Congenital Heart Defects

 Heart defects are the most common of abnormalities at birth.  About 35,000 infants are born with it each year in the United States.  The defect ranges from mild, requiring little or no treatment, to severe which could potentially put an infant’s life at risk.   They account for majority of birth defect-related fatalities.

Examples of  non-severe congenital heart diseases are Atrial Septal Defect (ASD), Patent Ductus Arteriosus and narrowed valves.  Tetralogy of Fallot is the most common of complex heart defects.  It is a condition wherein not enough blood is able to reach the lungs to get oxygen, and oxygen-poor blood flows to the body.

Causes

Heart defects can be caused by prenatal environmental as well as genetic factors.   However, the actual cause could not determined in most instances.   Alcohol consumption, nicotine and cocaine dependence during pregnancy could result to heart abnormalities.  Other possible causes are medication, viral infections and chronic illnesses such as diabetes, phenylketonuria (PKU) and deficiency in the B vitamin folic acid.   Heredity and genes likewise contributes to the development of heart defects.  

Prevention

The first trimester of a mother’s pregnancy is critical.   The heart, like some other body organs, starts to develop shortly after conception.   Complications and abnormalities resulting to abnormalities in the heart are likely to occur.

During pregnancy, drug medication should not be taken without the doctor’s clearance. Many drugs contain chemicals or substances that could potentially harm the fetus. As an example, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had issued several health advisories on the potential benefits and risks of antidepressants during pregnancy.  Based on FDA advisory, pregnant women who took Paxil were 1.5 to two times at risk of having babies with a congenital heart defect compared to those who took other antidepressants.  The issue of pre-natal drug medication, like the Paxil birth defect, is one that should not to be cast aside by any pregnant woman.

URL References:

Paxil is a popular drug taken as tablet or oral suspension for depression, OCD, anxiety and panic disorder for adults.    Paxil is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline and has been available in the market since 1992.  It helps prevent re-absorption of a neurotransmitter in the brain called Serotonin thus it is under the Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor drug class.   Preventing the re-absorption of Serotonin can increase the general well being of the patient. Most pregnant women undergo fluctuation of emotions that at times needs to be medicated because it is not already manageable.   For those patients that have been harmed by taking the drug made by GlaxoSmithKline, the company has agreed to settle it with the amount of $3 Billion.

When studies have found out that taking Paxil in the 1st trimester of pregnancy will result to birth defects for the fetus, the FDA has changed its pregnancy category from C to D.   Atrial and ventricular septal defects were the common heart defects seen in fetuses.   Not only can it cause heart defects but it can also cause lung defects for the fetus. Thoughtful consideration of the benefits and disadvantages in taking the drugs before it would be taken because of the potential harm it could cause in the fetus.   Options can be given by your doctor if you want to get pregnant but still taking Paxil.  Likewise if you are already pregnant and is still taking Paxil, it should be consulted with your doctor.

A study for the safe usage of Paxil was done in 2010 even if it was launched way back 1992. It was then that it was upgraded to a higher pregnancy risk category.  Breastfeeding should also be consulted with the doctor. Consult your doctor if you are breastfeeding your infant.  There were some cases that have surfaced stating that they were pregnant when they had the prescription of Paxil and that their children were born with heart defects. Many cases are now being made public about women who were pregnant when they took Paxil and as a result have babies that have a heart defect. 

GlaxoSmithKline is now facing cases from women who have babies with birth defect due to Paxil. Cases about Paxil birth defects are now increasing.

•          medicinenet.com/paroxetine/article.htm
•         health.ezinemark.com/reports-show-paxil-birth-defects-more-likely-during-first-trimester-7d300a23f680.html
•          uniteforlife.wordpress.com/category/paxil-birth-defects/
•          drugs.com/paxil.html