Published in a 2011 edition of the medical journal Obstetrics and Gynecology, a study by Dr. Heli Malm (et al.) evaluated the risk of birth defects for children born to mothers who used selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (a type of antidepressant medication) during pregnancy. Drugs whose danger was evaluated included fluoxetine (Prozac®, Sarafem®,
Tricuspid Atresia
Tricuspid atresia is a congenital (from birth) heart defect recently linked to maternal use of Paxil® during pregnancy.[1] Paxil® is a selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), a new type of antidepressant drug that helps regulate serotonin levels in the brain, a chemical involved in mood regulation.
In children born with tricuspid atresia, “the tricuspid heart
Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome
Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS) has recently been linked with maternal use of SSRI drugs, especially Paxil®, during pregnancy. Hypo-, from Greek meaning “less than normal, deficient”[1], and plastic, meaning “forming; growing; changing; developing”[2], hypoplastic left heart syndrome is a birth defect characterized by the underdevelopment of the left
WebMD – Mothers Who Switch SSRIs During Pregnancy Place Newborns at Risk of Heart Defects
It has been recently found that babies of mothers who filled prescriptions for more than one SSRI during pregnancy were four times as likely to be born with septal heart defects as were other babies born to mothers who did not use SSRIs during pregnancy. If uncorrected, this birth defect, characterized by a malformation of
Aortic Stenosis
A birth defect recently found to be associated with maternal use of SSRI drugs during pregnancy,[1] aortic stenosis is characterized by the aortic valve failing to open fully, decreasing blood flow from the heart[2] through the aorta, “the main artery carrying blood out of the heart.”[3] Specifically, aortic stenosis has been found
Maternal Use of SSRIs Late in Pregnancy May Cause PPHN
A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that infants born to mothers who used selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs, a type of antidepressant medication) late in pregnancy were placed at increased risk of serious birth defects, such as persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN).
First, some background on PPHN. One way to explain
Is GlaxoSmithKline the anti-Google?
Google is famous for its motto of “Don’t be evil.” I’m beginning to wonder if GSK has adopted a motto of “Be evil.” In addition to selling Paxil without adequately warning women that it causes birth defects, GSK also knowingly sold Paxil that it knew wouldn’t do anything to help patients:
In one of the
$257 Million Dollar Verdict In Risperdal Lawsuit
This is not a good year for Johnson & Johnson.
Johnson & Johnson lost a $257.7 million jury verdict in Louisiana for making misleading claims about the safety of the company’s Risperdal antipsychotic drug.
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The jury found 35,542 violations of the state’s Medical Assistance Programs Integrity Law and imposed a penalty
New fracture warning for all bisphosphonates
If you're taking one of these, consult with your doctor before you decide to stop taking the drug.
Food and Drug Administration officials said all bisphosphonates used for osteoporosis will carry a new warning about rare but serious fractures of the thigh bone, even though it remains unclear if the medicines caused the fractures.
Source: FDA warns
18 Year Old Girl Dies From Pulmonary Embolism and Deep Vein Thrombosis While Wearing Ortho-Evra Patch
I think the least enjoyable part of my job is the fact that I only get to help people after something bad has happened to them.
I was reminded of that this morning while reviewing a death certificate of a girl who died less than a month after turning 18. She was height-weight proportionate and