Depression Medication During Pregnancy? Only Your Doctor Knows For Sure
Depression Medication During Pregnancy? Only Your Doctor Knows For Sure
Depression medication during pregnancy is a tough call for doctors and patients alike because in most cases during pregnancy any and all medications should be avoided if possible. Of course there are always exceptions that require the mother to be on medication.
Depression and anxiety treatment is one such an exception. Lexapro is an anti-depressant drug that has been proven to successfully treat anxiety and depression. It is the newest addition to the family of drugs known as the Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors. Pregnancy medicine has a rating and it must be noted that Lexapro is a category "C" medicine. This means it should be given to pregnant women only if the benefits to the mother outweigh the risks to the newborn. This is the deciding factor for doctors when using any depression medication during pregnancy.
Possible risks associated with Lexapro: Studies have shown that babies born to mothers using Lexapro can develop a condition called persistent pulmonary hypertension. This condition is characterized by babies having abnormal blood flow to the lungs and heart and a low overall level of oxygen in the blood. This indicates a higher than normal occurrence of illness and deaths for babies with PPHN vs. those babies not afflicted. Lexapro also poses and increased risk of birth defects in babies. These are usually heart defects that can only be repaired surgically. Other side effects demonstrated by the babies who have been exposed to Lexapro include constant crying, feeding problems and insomnia.
In addition, babies whose mothers used Lexapro have also been seen to be hyperactive and to develop symptoms such as high-pitched crying, disturbed sleep and seizures. In some cases low birth weight is believed to be caused by Lexapro. The drugs use during the later part of pregnancy has resulted in fetal complications that required the mother to be hospitalized in some cases.
You are probably wondering with this long list of potentially dangerous side effects why would anyone use Lexapro? In reality the biggest risk for any fetus is it's mother's state of mind, be it caused by anxiety or depression. Premature delivery is often the result of depression and anxiety during pregnancy. Left untreated a mother's depression and fragile mental state can cause direct harm to the unborn baby. So in cases where the mother's depression must be treated Lexapro is the best alternative of the drugs available for treating depression medication during pregnancy.
Always consult your doctor with all of your health information. Let them know you are pregnant before starting any treatment for depression. If you were not pregnant when starting a depression medication program let all your doctors know when you become pregnant so adjustments can be made. For more information regarding depression visit http://www.depressiontreatmentsblog.com and learn more about depression medication during pregnancy.
http://www.articlesbase.com/mental-health-articles/depression-medication-during-pregnancy-only-your-doctor-knows-for-sure-3713332.html
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