My sister is newly pregnant and just about as excited as can be as she and her husband have been trying for many years. They’ve worked with doctor after doctor; after awhile I think they just resigned themselves to their infertility. Then, as these things often do, it happened right when they were least expecting it. My sister is understandably cautious and following each piece of advice and every instruction given to her. She came to me when she was told by her doctor to continue taking the Paxil® she had been taking for depression for the last five years. This seemed strange to her – and to me as well – so we went online to do some research.

It turns out that studies that were released in the early 2000s warn against taking Paxil® and other SSRIs (drugs used to treat depression and anxiety) during pregnancy as they are connected to a higher than average rate of women giving birth to children that suffer from Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn – or PPHN.

While PPHN happens rarely, it can ultimately be a fatal disease for children. After babies are born the arteries inside their body expand to do the job they were meant to do – allow blood to flow through them. While a baby is in its mother’s womb it does not need the help of its arteries; instead the baby receives all of its nutrients straight from its mother. But after birth, the arteries set to work. However, in kids with PPHN, their arteries never expand and blood cannot flow to the lungs. This disrupts the entire oxygenation process in the body; and some babies with PPHN even succumb to respiratory failure.

Needless to say, my sister found another doctor and went off of her Paxil® medication. Thanks to the work being done by Paxil® attorneys in California – as they work with families dealing with PPHN – hopefully the word will spread more thoroughly.

Popularity: 100% [?]

Share This