Still More SSRIs and their Birth Defects
There are hard decisions to make when choosing whether to continue taking an antidepressant while pregnant. Choosing to discontinue treatment means possibly exposing the child to unique difficulties in and of itself. These can include lower birth weight and decreased brain development. However, studies do increasingly show that exposure to SSRIs increases the risk of birth defects up to six times over not exposing the fetus. There are nonmedical methods of treating depression that might be considered instead of taking the risk, and doctors must be encouraged to give their patients all the information available.
One drug, Effexor, isn't technically identical to other SSRIs, because it doesn't exclusively affect serotonin intake. It also alters norepinephrine uptake to provide more overall coverage than a simple SSRI. In essence, though, it is the same broad type of medication as an SSRI in that it regulates the way the body processes chemicals related to mood and mental balance.
Effexor exposure has been shown to potentially result in the same type of defect that pops up among SSRIs and antidepressants in general — the heart defect. Studies performed in Denmark have shown a definitely increased risk for developmental problems in the heart when fetuses are exposed to Effexor and similar medications. These can include valve deformities, septal defects such as holes through the heart wall and the like.
Further, there are indications that such medicines also cause developmental disorders, a less immediately noticeable form of birth defect. Specific delays were noted in the ability to sit up without support, or beginning to walk. Children who had been exposed to SSRIs and SNRIs showed a marked delay in the development of these abilities, often only grasping them a month and a half behind children who were not exposed to the medicine. The studies showed that the effects existed in both permanent and reversible forms.
