Studies Show Zoloft Pose Risk to Infants

Infants born to mothers who were treated with Zoloft during their pregnancy are at risk of having birth defects as a serious side effect of the antidepressant drug according to several studies.


Zoloft which is manufactured by Pfizer, Inc. is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) used to treat several disorders because of its ability to increase the serotonin level in the brain.  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Zoloft to treat patients over 18 years old for depression, social anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic disorder, premenstrual dyphoric disorder (PMDD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) while the FDA also approved it as a treatment for OCD only among patients aged 6-17 years old.


However, studies show that Zoloft and other antidepressant drugs could have serious side effects on the infants whose mothers were treated with it during their pregnancy such as serious developmental birth defects, a potentially life-threatening lung disorder, and increased risks in premature and stillbirths.   A birth defect known as “Omphalocele”, wherein a child is born with some of its intestines found outside the abdominal wall is a side effect of Zoloft according to one study. 
  
Another study also linked Zoloft and other antidepressant drugs to two brain development defects known as anencephaly wherein an infant is missing a large part of its brain; and craniosynostosis, a condition wherein the newborn suffers a problem with the normal growth of its brain and skull.

An increase in the incidence of persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN) has also been noted in a 2006 study by the University of California in San Diego seen to be fatal in about 20 percent of newborns born to mothers who took Zoloft during their pregnancy.  Infants who survived from the PPHN may not be as fortunate as it would need mechanical aids to breathe and may suffer developmental delays, hearing loss and brain abnormalities.


The FDA noted the study of PPHN in infants but it only required birth defect warnings from Paxil, another antidepressant drug.  It did, however, issue a number of alerts and warnings over the past few years in response to the studies which linked Zoloft to serious side effects on infants whose mothers had taken the drug during their pregnancy. Despite the FDA-issued warnings,

pregnant women are advised against the abrupt discontinuation of the medication as they may suffer withdrawal symptoms after giving birth. It is most advisable for them to consult with their doctor and discuss the risks involved in continuing with the medication such as Zoloft withdrawal, congenital malformations and PPHN.

 

 

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