"Paxil Babies"

Dr. Bruce Levine, a clinical psychologist and author of Surviving America's Depression Epidemic: How to Find Morale, Energy, and Community in a World Gone Crazy has been studying the dangers of antidepressants on babies and his findings have been frightening.

In the United States, 11 percent of women are on antidepressants and the use of these medications by pregnant women has risen dramatically. Even more scary is the fact that postpartum depression is actually considered "common" and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control recently stated that we should not worry about the effects of Prozac, Paxil and Zoloft on newborns.

Really?

Dr. Levine states, "We have all heard about "crack babies." What about "Paxil babies?" The Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine has reported that 30 percent of babies with prenatal antidepressant exposure showed symptoms of withdrawal (13 percent were severe symptoms)--tremors, respiratory distress, gastrointestinal problems, sleep issues, high-pitched crying, rapid heartbeat, irritability, feeding problems, and profuse sweating. But that's only the beginning. What about the postpartum response? Where does breastfeeding fit in?

Psychiatrists and manufacturers of antidepressants do agree that these medications enter breast milk, but remain that the concentration is too low to cause concern. However, they also admit that there are no long-term studies to validate this lack of concern. If you or your doctor feels that you need an antidepressant and you are nursing, weigh the pros and cons heavily before jumping into a decision.