3rd February: Antidepressants taken during pregnancy could have serious effects on the baby.
Some of the effects of taking antidepressants could include premature birth, breathing problems and miscarriage.
And depression, if left untreated, could have even serious repercussions on the baby in the womb like delays in the development of the fetus, low birth weight, irritability etc.
Effects of depression on pregnancy—Several researches have shown that emotions might get triggered during pregnancy thus complicated matters for controlling depression. So, it becomes vital to treat depression during pregnancy since untreated depression may drain all your energies needed for caring yourself. Untreated depression during pregnancy could make you turn towards alcohol, smoking etc.
Antidepressants during pregnancy and health of newborn—
- Findings of a recent study in the BMJ (British Medical Journal) show babies of mothers who had been on antidepressants during pregnancy are at a higher risk of having disturbed high blood pressure levels in their lungs.
- <blockquote>Taking SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) including Zoloft, Celexa, Prozac or Paxil before eighth week of pregnancy increased the risk of pulmonary hypertension for infants slightly. However, pregnant women who took SSRIs after 20 weeks of pregnancy doubled the risk of infant pulmonary hypertension.</blockquote>
Antidepressants considered safe during pregnancy—Following antidepressants taken during pregnancy to treat depression are considered OK—
- Certain SSRIs—Some of the SSRIs considered OK during pregnancy for treating depression are fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft) and citalopram (Celexa).
- Tricyclic antidepressants—Such medications include nortriptyline and amitriptyline.
- Wellbutrin-Wellbutrin or Bupropion is meant for treatment of depression during pregnancy and for controlling smoking.
So, coming to conclusion, we may quote a California-based therapist, Pec Indman, who says no path is entirely risk-free. He further adds that illness has risk and so has treatment. And to determine which path is riskier is a tough point.
Taking a decision whether or not to take antidepressants during pregnancy should be based on the severity of the emotional health of the mother. If you are pregnant and suffering from depression, it is advisable to take guidance of your physician to help you decide what is best for you. And if you are already taking medicines for controlling depression during pregnancy, don’t commit the mistake of discontinuing them abruptly.
