May 2014

An article by Laura Pogliani et al. (2010) titled “Paroxetine and neonatal withdrawal syndrome” published in BMJ Case Reports reports on a newborn who suffered neonatal withdrawal syndrome after prenatal exposure to paroxetine (Paxil).

Here is the abstract of that article:

“We report a case of neonatal withdrawal syndrome after in utero

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In recent years, a number of studies have demonstrated that Depacon (sodium valproate) use during pregnancy is linked to increased risk for a range of serious birth defects.  This epilepsy drug by Abbott Laboratories, Inc. is often safe, but has been linked to autism, neurological birth defects, heart defects, craniofacial birth defects…

A French team of researchers led by S. Favrelière et al. published an article in L’Encephale titled “Treatment of depressed pregnant women by selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors: risk for the foetus and the newborn” in June, 2010 and provided further insights into the risks associated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) use during…

Over the past several decades, a number of studies have linked selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) to a range of birth defects: neurological birth defects including spina bifida, cardiovascular birth defects including tricuspid atresia, craniofacial defects like cleft palate, developmental disorders such as autism, and neonatal adaptation disorders.  As…

Published on April 15th, 2012, an important letter to the editor of American Family Physician was sent by Dr. Brian Budenholzer that cautioned against Paxil use during pregnancy.  (Accordingly, his piece was titled “Paroxetine Use Should Be Avoided During Pregnancy”.)  As it is relatively short, I have chosen to include it in…

Published in the September, 2011 edition of Danish Medical Bulletin, an article by J. Fenger-Grøn et al. titled “Paediatric outcomes following intrauterine exposure to serotonin reuptake inhibitors: a systematic review.” “addresses the potential adverse effects on the foetus and child of maternal SRI medication.”  For clarity, “SRI” stands for serotonine reuptake inhibitors…

An article published March 11, 2014 in BJOG: an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology by L. Ban et al., a team from The University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom, titled “Maternal depression, antidepressant prescriptions, and congenital anomaly risk in offspring: a population-based cohort study.” provides insight into the connection between neonatal…

Since the early 1990s, scientists and medical researchers have found that finasteride use is linked to sexual dysfunction in the form of erectile dysfunction, loss of libido, ejaculation disorder, and other ailments.  This chemical is the active chemical in the hair loss drug Propecia (finasteride 1mg) and the benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) drug, Proscar (finasteride…