A woman undergoes a lot changes during pregnancy.  An expectant mother may feel stressed out due to the adjustments that they need to make.  During this time of transition, it is acceptable to feel a little stress and anxiety.  A woman may get confused when she feels sad during the pregnancy while most of the people surrounding her are happy.  According to medical research, babies born from these women are prone to develop their own issues when they grow up.


A woman who is caught unprepared by the baby may develop mixed emotions with the pregnancy. Although in some cases a woman may have developed severe anxiety and depression due to pregnancy. The mood of the mother affects the development of the baby.  In the event when the mother is under stress, the environment of the baby also changes. Through the help of research, it was found that babies born from stressed mothers are born premature and underweight.


Then again we now have different treatments to that can help address depression during and after pregnancy.  As long as depression is diagnosed, it can be treated, even the severe cases.  Treatment can be given sooner when diagnosis is promptly and correctly done. Medications and therapy go hand-in-hand. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) are one of the few medications that are thought to be safe to take during pregnancy. SSRIs include medications such as Paxil and Zoloft.


Nowadays the use SSRIs during pregnancy is now subject of serious debate.  It was found in recent studies that the use of SSRIs may cause the fetus to develop birth defects, especially when it is taken during the first trimester.  This new  finding has brought about confusion on women who are taking the drug and are pregnant.  Depending on the time it was taken, the Zoloft side effects may vary.  The baby is likely to develop birth defects when it is taken during the first trimester because it is the time for body organ development.


The benefits and risks needs to be weighed by the doctors prescribing the drug, says the Food and Drug Administrator (FDA).  Before going through the treatment process, patients are asked if they are willing in spite of the risks involved.  Women who have plans of getting pregnant and are taking Zoloft are advised to tell their doctors about it.  If they are not comfortable with taking the drug while on the family way, they can be given different options to choose from.  A Zoloft lawsuit was filed by women who have babies that developed birth defects due to Zoloft.

Recent findings published in the Archives of General Psychiatry show that one-fifth of depression patients may get worse on medication. ”Based on combined data from previous studies, these assertive conclusions raise concerns about the efficacy of antidepressants if patients do not report a rapid improvement of depression symptoms,” says Ralitza Geuorguieva, the lead study author from the Yale University School of Health.

”You know within the first couple weeks who’s the most likely to benefit because they’re already starting to show improvement. I think this finding holds true for the antidepressants that are most commonly used today,” according to a psychiatrist from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Dr. Michael Thase, who was not engaged in the research.

Pregnant women, including those who are planning to get pregnant, were advised by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists to avoid taking antidepressants like Paxil and Zoloft. In 2010, a research paper of the Swedish Medical Birth Register (MBR) supported this recommendation with their own parallel study results.

Antidepressant drugs, such as Zoloft, bring severe side effects to women who were prescribed with this drug during the first three months of pregnancy, as was reported by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Newborns may suffer from congenital birth defects and withdrawal symptoms that could last for months and even years.  Among the common birth defects are cardiovascular deformities because the baby’s heart was still forming in the womb during the first three months of the mother’s pregnancy.

 Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) is another critical condition that may develop in infants.  Other alleged Zoloft-associated defects include limb abnormalities and craniosynostosis, in which the skull is deformed.  It was also known that newborns may also have low blood sugar and experience difficulty in breathing, vomiting, seizures, tremor and irritability.

Medical specialists said that it is important to properly verify the type and timing of the medications prescribed for pregnant women, as well as those who are planning to get pregnant soon. Therefore,  the public specifically the women should always consult a doctor before taking any medicines to avoid any unfortunate repercussions.

The public should also be informed about the numerous Zoloft lawsuit being filed presently by affected patients against Pfizer, the drug manufacturer.  “Pfizer knew of the dangerous birth defects associated with Zoloft use during pregnancy from the preclinical studies and the subsequent published studies confirming these risks. Pfizer took no action to properly study Zoloft or did not properly publish the results of the studies it did do, which would have reflected that risk,” a lawsuit filed by a Missouri couple claims.

References:

·         articles.latimes.com/2007/jun/28/science/sci-ssri28
·         health.usnews.com/usnews/health/articles/070627/27antidepressant.htm
·         news.yahoo.com/between-birth-defects-antidepressants-taken-during-pregnancy-continues-225209951.html

Zoloft is an antidepressant drug manufactured by the pharmaceutical company Pfizer. Its generic name is setraline.  According to media reports, when Zoloft was released in the global market, it instantly became one of the biggest-selling antidepressant drugs.. However, there are new findings that suggest some patients who take antidepressants like Zoloft receive no medical benefits from the drug compared to placebos.  Numerous medical professionals and researchers have been consistently reporting various Zoloft side effects.

One major side effect of Zoloft was found in the number women who were prescribed with the drug during the first trimester of pregnancy; their newborns suffered from congenital birth defects and their mothers have had withdrawal symptoms that made them suffer for days, weeks or even years after giving birth.

There is a wide range of birth defects associated with Zoloft and the studies have linked the drug to cardiovascular defects like ventricular septal defects and atrial septal defects. These typically occur when the mother has taken Zoloft within the first trimester of pregnancy, during which the baby's heart is still forming in the womb. Moreover, pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) is another Zoloft side effect. It is some kind of high blood pressure in babies’ lungs. It can really be serious and can lead to death in extreme cases. Limb abnormalities and craniosynostosis (skull deformation) are also other birth defects that are allegedly blamed on Zoloft. These birth defects can be very critical. While some after-effects can mend on their own, others cannot and can even lead to further operations and complications. It was also known that newborns may also have low blood sugar and experience difficulty in breathing, vomiting, seizures, tremor and irritability.

The public health advisory of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stated this:

“FDA is advising health care professionals to discuss the potential risk of birth defects with patients taking Zoloft who plan to become pregnant or are in their first three months of pregnancy. Health care professionals should consider discontinuing Zoloft (and switching to another antidepressant if indicated) in these patients. In some patients, the benefits of continuing Zoloft may be greater than the potential risk to the fetus. The FDA is advising health care professionals not to prescribe Zoloft in women who are in the first three months of pregnancy or are planning pregnancy, unless other treatment options are not appropriate.”

Due to the above-stated birth defects, Pfizer was ordered by the FDA to change the pregnancy category of Zoloft from C to D. The meaning of the D category  is that studies conducted in pregnant women had presented proof that the drug puts the fetus at stake. Medical professionals said that it important to properly verify the type and timing of the medications prescribed for pregnant women as well as those who are planning to get pregnant soon. Patients affected by the drug have already been pursuing Zoloft lawsuit against Pfizer.

References:
    health.usnews.com/usnews/health/articles/070627/27antidepressant.htm

Among the many antidepressants from the group of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), Zoloft is probably the most widely prescribed. To ensure its effectiveness and prevent hazards, strict adherence to the regimen needs to be followed. Furthermore, this drug is greatly influenced by other substance, for example, drinking Zoloft and alcohol may cause a wide range of health problems.

The success of this drug, however, might be put to a stall as recent reports that Zoloft may cause several birth defects are piling up. On a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, it was found out that the risk of having a baby born with congenital heart defect is 2 times higher in women taking Zoloft in their first trimester of pregnancy.  Although, we may only be looking at one small angle.

Currently, medical professionals are trying to find the connection between Zoloft and these side effects:
- Clubbed foot
- Cleft lip or palate
- Delayed development
- Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn
- Heart defects
- Brain/spinal cord defects 
A club foot is the downward and inward turning of one or both feet. It is probably the most common birth defect involving the legs whose condition might be mild or severe. The treatment of this deformity may consist of casting, bracing and actually manipulating of the affected foot.

Cleft lip or palate refers to the non-fusion or the opening of the upper lip or the roof of the mouth (palate). This malformation can be corrected with a surgery which may be conducted as early as 3 months after birth.

 Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN) is a rare but life-threatening case where there is high blood pressure in the lungs, so blood in the pulmonary artery is sent away from the lungs to the other organs through a fetal blood vessel. Care of the newborn with PPHN must be meticulous involving a continuous monitoring of oxygenation, blood pressure and perfusion. The patient may be given with dopamine and dobutamine as well as surfactants which helps ease vascular resistance.

There are several heart defects whose effects may be slight or critical. This may cripple the heart from working properly emanating developmental problems to the child or even worse – death. Oftentimes, surgery is needed to correct the problem but some minor defects heal by themselves.

Brain and spinal cord defects refer to several abnormalities that occurred in the neural tube, precursor of the brain and the spinal cord, resulting from failure of the tube to close. Although surgery may correct its physical appearance, its damage to the nervous system may not be treated which may result in a lifelong physical and emotional hardship.

Birth defects are serious matters thus if you found out that you are pregnant or you are planning to have a child, inform your doctor before starting your Zoloft therapy. This may be something that your child will bear throughout his life.