Paxil Birth Defects Information Center

In dealing with depression, medical professionals frequently prescribe oral medications like antidepressants and also psychotherapy. However, reports from patients, results of various medical studies, and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warnings suggest that antidepressants like Paxil, Zoloft and Effexor may not be the safest way to cure depression and anxiety disorders because of their tendency to cause harmful effects. These include increased suicide risk, sexual dysfunction, hallucinations, abnormal personality changes, atypical mood shifts, eating disorders, and sleeping problems. Birth defects to newborns had been also reported, especially if the mother took the drug during the first trimester of pregnancy. The website BCLocalNews.com published an article on October 17, 2010 about a British Columbian couple trying tointensify awareness about infant exposure to antidepressants. This couple believes that their son died apparently from the wife’s exposure to antidepressants while pregnant.

On February 21, 2009, the mother—Christiane Schultz—was prescribed Effexor while she was pregnant and gave birth to her son, Matthew. Sadly, he died immediately two hours after he was born. She and her husband Amery supposed that her Effexor use contributed to Matthew's death. From then on, they have been trying to raise awareness on the hazards of antidepressant drugs to pregnant women and their children.

According to the studies, there is a wide range of birth defects linked to Paxil such as cardiovascular malformations in the form of atrial septal defects and ventricular septal defects. These typically occur when the mother has taken Paxil within the first trimester of pregnancy, during which the baby's heart is still forming in the womb. Moreover, pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) is another Paxil side effect. It is some kind of high blood pressure in babies’ lungs. PPHN can be tremendously serious and it may lead to death in extreme cases. Limb abnormalities and craniosynostosis (skull deformation) are also other birth defects that are allegedly blamed on Paxil. These defects can be very serious. Certain defects can correct themselves while others cannot and may even lead to complications and surgeries. It was also known that newborns may also have low blood sugar and experience difficulty in breathing, vomiting, seizures, tremor and irritability.

The consumers should also be aware that various PaxilLawsuit is presently being filed by victims against the manufacturer of the drug, GlaxoSmithKline.

• adrugrecall.com/paxil/birth-defect.html
• medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=57323
• webmd.com/news/20051208/paxil-stronger-birth-defects-warning
• paxil.lawsuitinformation.org/

A black box warning about pregnancy has been given to Paxil since 2005, this warning states that pregnant women have to consult with their doctor before starting Paxil as it can lead to serious Birth Defects. There are also several studies that have shown that Paxil can potentially cause miscarriages.

However, Paxil has also been known to cause birth defects, the more common of which deal with the heart of the newborn. A study conducted in 2006 and published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that PPHN was six times as likely to occur in infants born to mothers who used Paxil or another SSRI medication during the final twenty weeks of pregnancy.  The main reason for this is that the high blood pressure and poor oxygen flow through the infant’s body is the result of incomplete development of the respiratory system, caused by a malfunction in one of the blood vessels that functions during fetal growth.

 Below is a list of the most common heart birth defects that can potentially be caused by Paxil:

•   Persistent pulmonary hypertension, or PPHN, is a lung condition that occurs in newborns and has been linked to maternal use of the antidepressant Paxil.  Newborns that are diagnosed with PPHN are usually unable to breathe properly because of constricted blood vessels in the lungs and consequently cannot get enough oxygen to vital organs such as the brain and kidneys.  PPHN often requires intensive medical treatment and sometimes surgery.

•    Atrial Septal Defect (AVD) and Ventrical Septal Defect (VSD) can be described as , a hole between the two upper chambers of the heart (atrial) or the two lower chambers of the heart (ventrical).Often AVD or VSD will heal themselves; in more severe instances the infant will undergo surgery. 

•    Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome this is when a newborn is born with an underdevelopment of one of the components of the left side of the heart: the left ventricle, aortic valve, or the left side of the mitral valve. 

 Studies have shown that Paxil has the ability to have a serious side effect on women who are taking the drug for their signs and symptoms of depression while pregnant; these women should be wary of potential Paxil Birth Defects to their babies.

Reference:
http://www.adrugrecall.com/paxil/birth-defect.html