Mental health advocates are raising concerns about the number of young children that are being prescribed psychiatric drugs to treat mental health issues. A report by the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) found that hundreds of thousands of infants and toddlers in the U.S. are taking prescription medications to treat anxiety, depression, ADHD, and…
Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are a class of drugs typically used as antidepressants in the treatment of depression, anxiety disorders, and some personality disorders. It is not uncommon for women to take SSRI antidepressants during pregnancy. A study published in August 2014 in the British Journal of Psychiatry is the latest to suggest an…
A study published by the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) has found that women who use antidepressants during the final trimester of pregnancy are more likely to give birth to a child with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN). PPHN is a serious condition in which the newborn’s circulatory system fails to properly…
A new study published in the journal Human Reproduction has found that women who use a class of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) during pregnancy are more likely to give birth to a child with a number of serious birth defects. SSRI antidepressants include such drugs as Zoloft, Paxil, Prozac, Celexa, and…
A new study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology has found that women who use antidepressants during pregnancy may be more likely to give birth prematurely or give birth to a child with seizures. Previous studies have also linked the use of antidepressants while pregnant to an increased risk of serious congenital…
A lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice against drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has revealed that celebrity physician Dr. Drew Pinsky received thousands of dollars to act as a spokesman for the company’s antidepressant, Wellbutrin SR. GSK recently agreed to pay $3 billion to settle Justice Department claims that it illegally marketed Wellbutrin SR and another…
New study looks at dangers of prescription drugs during pregnancy The risk that a drug will cause malformations of an embryo or fetus is referred to as teratogenic risk. Did you know that the teratogenic risk of more than 80% of 468 drugs released in the USA over the last 20 years remains to be…