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| |  Antidepressant Benefits Outweigh Risks During Pregnancy And Breastfeeding TORONTO, ON -- February 5, 2001 -- Researchers in the Motherisk Program at The Hospital for Sick Children have found that the benefits outweigh any potential risks for pregnant or breastfeeding women taking medications for depression. This study was published in the recent issue of the Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience. The study followed 36 pregnant women: 34 of the women abruptly stopped taking their psychotropic medication (an antidepressant or benzodiazepine, a tranquilizer) for fear of harming the fetus; 26 reported physical or psychological adverse effects; and 11 reported suicidal thoughts after they stopped taking their medication. Four of the patients with suicidal thoughts had to be hospitalized. Following counselling, 22 women resumed taking their medication while pregnant. Thirty-five healthy babies were born, including two sets of twins, to 33 women in the study. Two women in the study had miscarriages, and one woman underwent a therapeutic abortion. Fourteen women in the study breastfed their babies while on psychotropic medications, with no adverse effects. "There is a popular notion that women should not take any medications while pregnant. This is not always the case," said Adrienne Einarson, the lead author of the study, the assistant director of Clinical Services for Motherisk, and a former psychiatric nurse. "It is important to treat the woman's depression, and there is no evidence to date that antidepressants are harmful to the fetus." Linda D'Ascanio, a 33-year-old nurse from London, Ontario, was one of the women in the Motherisk study. She was prescribed psychotropic medications following the birth of her first son, when she experienced severe post-partum depression. When she became pregnant with her second baby, the resident filling in for her psychiatrist told her to abruptly go off her medications. She became completely incapacitated - vomiting, unable to sleep and suffering from panic attacks. D'Ascanio's family physician advised her to call Motherisk, where she was counselled to resume her medications. She gave birth to a healthy baby boy, whom she breastfed for two years. "Depression is a very common in women of child-bearing age, so research like this is critically important," said D'Ascanio. "Decisions concerning taking medications during pregnancy should be based on evidence, not assumptions." Einarson recommends that pregnant women who are taking antidepressants or benzodiazepines discuss the options with their physician and make an informed decision. If the woman wishes to go off her medications, they must be tapered off gradually, since stopping medications abruptly can lead to severe adverse effects.
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