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7 February 2006
Mother’s Antidepressant Use Triggers Withdrawal In Newborns 
The February issue of the journal Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine carries disturbing news about the possibility of newborns suffering withdrawal symptoms from their mother's medication. It seems that around one-third of 60 newborn infants whose mothers took antidepressants, such as Prozac, during pregnancy experienced neonatal abstinence syndrome, with symptoms that include tremors, high-pitched crying and disturbed sleep. The study was carried out on 120 babies at Rabin Medical Center in Israel. Sixty of the infants' mothers took selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants for prolonged periods of time, including during the third trimester. These infants and 60 infants without exposure to SSRIs were assessed two hours after birth and again at regular intervals. Of the 60 babies who were exposed to SSRIs, 30 percent had neonatal abstinence syndrome and eight of those cases were severe. The most common symptoms were tremor, gastrointestinal problems, an abnormal increase in muscle tone, sleep disturbances and high-pitched cries. None of the 60 infants without exposure to SSRIs developed the syndrome. The new study may complicate decision-making for mothers taking SSRI antidepressants, as the hormonal changes that pregnancy brings were recently found not to significantly lower the risk of depression. The researchers said it was important that the possibility of neonatal abstinence syndrome in infants exposed to SSRIs be brought to the attention of doctors, psychiatrists, gynecologists, pediatricians and mothers. "Because maternal depression during pregnancy also entails a risk to the newborn, the risk-benefit ratio of continuing SSRI treatment should be assessed," they said. And if a mother does take SSRIs, then she should be prescribed the minimum dose. They also recommended that the infants of mothers taking SSRIs should be monitored closely after birth for a minimum of 48 hours. Source: Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
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