Titled “Newborn neurobehavioral patterns are differentially related to prenatal maternal major depressive disorder and serotonin reuptake inhibitor treatment.”, an article by A.L. Salisbury and a team from the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, appearing in the December, 2011 edition of Depression and Anxiety, further explores the link between selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor drugs (SSRIs) and adverse neurobehavioral outcomes. To-date, a number of studies have linked SSRI exposure to increased risk for heart defects and neurological birth defects as well.
Salisbury et al. (2011) write “Prenatal serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI) exposure has been related to adverse newborn neurobehavioral outcomes; however, these effects have not been compared to those that may arise from prenatal exposure to maternal major depressive disorder (MDD) without SRI treatment. This study examined potential effects of MDD with and without SRI treatment on newborn neurobehavior.” For clarity, “SRI” is equivalent to “SSR” for our purposes.
“This was a prospective, naturalistic study”, and results showed that “Full-term infants exposed to MDD + SRIs had a lower [gestational age] than [control subjects] or MDD-exposed infants and, controlling for GA, had lower quality of movement and more central nervous system stress signs. In contrast, MDD-exposed infants had the highest quality of movement scores while having lower attention scores than CON and MDD + SRI-exposed infants.”
This means that maternal SSRI use, not maternal depression, was correlated with lower gestational age.
Since so many women around the world have used SSRIs during pregnancy unaware of these and other serious risks, thousands of SSRI birth defect lawsuits are currently being filed.
If you or a loved one used SSRIs while pregnancy and gave birth to a child with a birth defect or who suffered perinatal complications, your family may be entitled to significant financial compensation. For a free, no-obligation case consultation, contact our team of SSRI birth defect lawyers at the information provided below. We have the compassion, experience, and researchers required to win the justice you deserve. Call today and see how we can help.
(855) 452 – 5529
Our SSRI Birth Defects Lawsuit Information page is a great place to start if you have any questions about SSRIs and Birth Defects.