Antidepressants Prozac & Paxil Linked to Serious Pregnancy Birth Defects

A US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) research suggests that popular antidepressants Prozac and Paxil are linked to serious birth defects, thus could be harmful to pregnant women who are taking them. 

The research published on Wednesday in British Medical Journal studied a class of antidepressant drugs otherwise known as Selective Serotinin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs). According to Reuters, 40% of participating women in the study took Zoloft (sertraline), followed by Prozac (fluoxetine), Paxil (paroxetine), Celexa (citalopram) and Lexapro (escitalopram). Lexapro, Celexa and Zoloft have not been shown to cause birth defects.

In a report by MedPage Today, Jennita Reefhuis, PhD from CDC and colleagues found that when Paxil is taken during the first trimester of pregnancy, there is a risk for five out of seven birth defects including navel hernia (omphalocele), missing parts of the brain and skull (anencephaly), viscera protrusion in the abdomen (gastroschisis) and heart defects. Meanwhile, Prozac increases the risk of two out of seven birth defects involving the heart and misshapen skull.

However, Reefhuis said the research is not a cause for alarm because the risk remains small.

"It is a doubling or more in some cases, but you have to keep in mind that that a doubling of small risk is still a small risk," Dr Reefhuis said via Washington Post.

Leonardo Pereira, MD, from Oregon Health and Science University, who is not involved in the study, said the research should not be a decisive factor for women who are pregnant and are taking SSRIs.

"None of this demonstrates that there's a cause and effect association and we know that stopping SSRI treatment in patients who are being treated for depression can precipitate major depressive episodes, which can be dangerous for pregnancy and for pregnant women," Pereira said via MedPage Today.

According to NPR, the study doesn't prove that the two antidepressants caused birth defects because it only states an association. The researchers also reminded women diagnosed with depression who are planning to get pregnant to consult their health providers for antidepressant options.

Prozac maker Eli Lilly told ABC News with regards to the new research that the company "completed a significant body of research on Prozac, which is considered as having a positive benefit-risk profile for patients by regulatory authorities and physicians around the world" in addition to safety evaluations.

Meanwhile, Paxil maker, GlaxoSmithKline, said their medicine label placed a warning for doctors to talk to their patients about the risks of taking their product.

"It's very important that physicians advise any women considering use of Paxil (paroxetine) or other SSRIs during pregnancy of the potential risks, which are clearly detailed within the product label and patient information, recognizing that for some the benefits of therapy may continue to outweigh the potential risk,"  a GlaxoSmithKline spokesperson said in a statement.