Question:
Paxil Causes Withdrawal in Infants Short-Term Symptoms Are Intense, Require Hospitalization By Jeanie Davis WebMD Medical News Reviewed By Michael Smith, MD May 6, 2002 — Women taking the antidepressant Paxil should know this: If they get pregnant, their baby could go through a withdrawal period right after birth — one that causes respiratory problems and hospitalization for up to two weeks. However, researchers say, there don’t seem to be any long-term negative effects on the infant. Paxil is one of the antidepressants known as SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) and is commonly prescribed for depression, anxiety, and panic disorder. "However, Paxil is a little bit different from the other SSRIs … in adults, it has higher rates of discontinuation syndrome — problems when people abruptly stop taking the drug — like nervousness, sleep problems, sweating," says Gideon Koren, MD, professor of pediatrics, pharmacology, and medicine and medical genetics at the University of Toronto. Koren’s previous studies and others "have shown that SSRIs are safe in pregnancy, that they do not cause malformations in the fetus," he tells WebMD. His current study focuses on the effects of Paxil on the newborn infant — whether a baby exposed to Paxil throughout the mother’s pregnancy experiences any withdrawal symptoms. He presented his paper today at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies in Baltimore. The study involved 55 women who took Paxil throughout their pregnancies, 27 women who stopped taking Paxil after the second trimester, and 27 women who took other drugs considered not to cause birth defects. Twelve of the babies exposed to Paxil through the third trimester had complications that lasted one to two weeks and required hospitalization. The problems: respiratory distress in nine infants, low blood sugar in two infants, and jaundice in one. "But the good news is, [the complications] were short term," Koren tells WebMD. "None of these babies had long-term adverse effects from the Paxil." In the comparison group, two infants exposed to Paxil in the first and second trimesters had respiratory distress and a complication in which the infant breathes in its own feces while still in the womb. A third infant who was not exposed to Paxil was born with jaundice. In the third trimester-exposed group, 36 women breastfed and continued taking Paxil after delivery. Eight women reported symptoms in their babies including difficulties with alertness, constipation, sleepiness, and irritability, but the majority of women reported no such symptoms. In the comparison group, 44 babies were breastfed and none of the mothers reported symptoms. "Breast milk may have a protective effect," says Koren. "If mom took the drug through pregnancy and she continues through breastfeeding, the baby is supplemented with lower levels of the drug and may be protected from these effects — gradually weaned off the drug."
Response:
Paxil Causes Withdrawal in Infants Short-Term Symptoms Are Intense, Require Hospitalization By Jeanie Davis WebMD Medical News Reviewed By Michael Smith, MD May 6, 2002 — Women taking the antidepressant Paxil should know this: If they get pregnant, their baby could go through a withdrawal period right after birth — one that causes respiratory problems and hospitalization for up to two weeks. However, researchers say, there don’t seem to be any long-term negative effects on the infant. Paxil is one of the antidepressants known as SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) and is commonly prescribed for depression, anxiety, and panic disorder. "However, Paxil is a little bit different from the other SSRIs … in adults, it has higher rates of discontinuation syndrome — problems when people abruptly stop taking the drug — like nervousness, sleep problems, sweating," says Gideon Koren, MD, professor of pediatrics, pharmacology, and medicine and medical genetics at the University of Toronto. Koren’s previous studies and others "have shown that SSRIs are safe in pregnancy, that they do not cause malformations in the fetus," he tells WebMD. His current study focuses on the effects of Paxil on the newborn infant — whether a baby exposed to Paxil throughout the mother’s pregnancy experiences any withdrawal symptoms. He presented his paper today at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies in Baltimore. The study involved 55 women who took Paxil throughout their pregnancies, 27 women who stopped taking Paxil after the second trimester, and 27 women who took other drugs considered not to cause birth defects. Twelve of the babies exposed to Paxil through the third trimester had complications that lasted one to two weeks and required hospitalization. The problems: respiratory distress in nine infants, low blood sugar in two infants, and jaundice in one. "But the good news is, [the complications] were short term," Koren tells WebMD. "None of these babies had long-term adverse effects from the Paxil." In the comparison group, two infants exposed to Paxil in the first and second trimesters had respiratory distress and a complication in which the infant breathes in its own feces while still in the womb. A third infant who was not exposed to Paxil was born with jaundice. In the third trimester-exposed group, 36 women breastfed and continued taking Paxil after delivery. Eight women reported symptoms in their babies including difficulties with alertness, constipation, sleepiness, and irritability, but the majority of women reported no such symptoms. In the comparison group, 44 babies were breastfed and none of the mothers reported symptoms. "Breast milk may have a protective effect," says Koren. "If mom took the drug through pregnancy and she continues through breastfeeding, the baby is supplemented with lower levels of the drug and may be protected from these effects — gradually weaned off the drug."
Comments