Antidepressants and Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn

When the drug Paxil was initially released into the market it was hailed, arguably, as the next greatest step forward in the antidepressant and signature drug line and the start of a long expected boom in that industry. Paxil (or paroxetine) is used to treat a number of conditions such as obsessive compulsive disorder, stress, anxiety attacks, panic attacks and of course it is most popularly known for treating symptoms of depression.

While it is reasonably effective in fulfilling its intention, there are certain side effects of taking the Paxil drug that could pose a problem to certain groups of people. These side effects have since been confirmed to be much more severe than initially thought, causing the Food and Drug Administration to increase its warning on Paxil.

One of the worst and most tragic side effects of the Paxil drug was observed in the offspring born to pregnant women that took the drug during their pregnancy. It caused damage to the fetus and many children were born with either a heart or lung defect, and a condition known as , Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn or PPHN for short. The astounding number of reports of children born with birth defects has made the whole tale a sad one and in response to this, on September 27, 2005, the FDA issued a strong warning to pregnant women about the risk of Paxil causing birth defects. In addition to this warning, Paxil labels now include the risk of birth defects but it is a step that has come far too late for some families.

A closer look at PPHN

Paxil belongs to a class of drugs referred to as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. All drugs in this class are used to treat conditions similar to the ones that Paxil is effective for. Multiple SSRIs, including Paxil have been linked to the PPHN condition due to the absorption of some of the ingredients into the placenta of a pregnant woman and the eventual damaging of the developing fetus.

Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn is a condition that is similar to normal hypertension but is occurring in newborn infants. Infants can not breathe because of the constriction of blood vessels and the cutting off of oxygen to the blood. PPHN can also be responsible for causing severe damage to organs like the brain and the kidneys, both of which are very sensitive to changes in blood oxygen content. Because the problem occurs in newborns and actually happened at a stage of development before birth, the defects can be very severe and cases where newborns are not able to recover despite rigorous and prolonged treatment are not uncommon.

It is very important to note that while Paxil does cause these birth defects, it is not the only SSRI drug to do so. Pregnant women, if taking any SSRI and especially Paxil, should consult their Doctor before doing so and should only take the drug under medical supervision for the duration of their pregnancy. Women that act otherwise are risking that the child they are carrying might potentially be born with a severe lung or heart defect.

For more info visit
http://www.pregnancy-guidelines.com
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