Fed: Anti-depressants make babies smaller, irritable

AAP General News (Australia)
12-01-2007
Fed: Anti-depressants make babies smaller, irritable

Eds: Embargoed until 0001 AEDT Saturday, December 1



By Tamara McLean, Medical Writer

MELBOURNE, Dec 1 AAP - Babies born to women on antidepressants are smaller and more
likely to suffer tremor and irritability, but the symptoms are not long-lasting, Australian
research shows.

Melbourne researchers say their study should reassure mums-to-be that remaining on
much-needed medication during pregnancy does not appear to cause lasting harm to their
child.

"The symptoms we found were essentially minor and they were gone within a month," said
lead researcher Dr Megan Galbally, from Melbourne's Mercy Hospital for Women.

The study, to be presented at the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) conference in
Melbourne today, tracked 34 women taking anti-depressant medication during their pregnancy
and the same number who did not.

"The babies exposed to anti-depressants were born a little bit earlier, a little bit
smaller and did seem to have more jitteriness, tremor, sneezing, irritability and gastro
symptoms," Dr Galbally said.

"These symptoms were gone within a month, however, and we didn't see any major complications
like deformations or anything."

The only effect noticed after a month were that these babies had slightly less weight
gain compared with those not exposed to the medications, probably because they fed poorly
in the first weeks of life, Dr Galbally said.

The level of symptoms appeared to correlate with the amount of medication taken by their mothers.

She said the results were reassuring but stressed that anti-depressant use in pregnancy
was not a straight-forward matter.

Some research had found links between the anti-depressant Aropax and birth defects.

However, two international studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine
in July were unable to find a link between the new generation selective serotonin reuptake
inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant and birth defects or deformities.

There is a quandary because there has been strong research suggesting that 50 to 75
per cent of women who go off anti-depressants when they need them, will relapse.

Australian statistics show half of women go off the drugs without GP consultation when
they fall pregnant, a figure Dr Galbally said was concerning.

"For women who need them they are a really important part of treatment.

"Untreated maternal anxiety and depression can have risks in pregnancy and risks in
early childhood.

"But we don't want to expose babies unnecessarily so it really needs to be looked at
case by case and discussed with your doctor."

AAP tam/jt/cdh

KEYWORD: BABIES (EMBARGOED)

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