Anencephaly, a neural tube defect found at birth is characterized by the absence of the skull and some parts of the brain. A variety of risk factors have been identified why this birth defect occurs which include the use of the antidepressant Paxil during pregnancy. When one is pregnant and diagnosed with major depression, she is usually given an antidepressant medication to manage the condition. However, this may also affect her and her baby’s condition as antidepressants have been associated with the development of birth defects. With the being said, side effects should be observed or better yet, consult her physician regarding this situation. However, if a woman who’s taking Paxil just found out she’s carrying a child, she should not discontinue the medication immediately as abrupt discontinuation of Paxil can cause withdrawal syndrome.
Some Information on Paxil
Paxil is an antidepressant under the SSRI drug class which has a generic name of Paroxetine. The U.S. Food and Drug Association has released a strong warning regarding its use to pregnant women as birth defects have been associated when this drug is taken during pregnancy. This medication was also reclassified from Pregnancy Category C to Category D. Medications that are given the Category D classification have shown risk to the fetus during controlled studies in pregnant women but the benefits may outweigh the risks so the physician will have to carefully weigh down everything before giving the medication. One of the reported birth defects for this medication is the cranial anomaly, anencephaly.
Some Facts on Anencephaly
Anencephaly is considered as one of the most common neural tube defects and 1 out of every 10,000 babies is born with this condition. This happens when the upper part of the neural tube does not close. Upon observation, a child with anencephaly has no skull and some parts of the brain are missing. The condition may also be accompanied by facial deformities and heart defects. There is no current treatment for anencephaly but you can talk to your physician for supportive measures and palliative care. A few days after the child is born, death usually follows and/or prognosis are bad. There are no known causes for the said condition but low levels of folate and toxins like medications have been considered as causes. This condition has been mentioned in one study as a Paxil birth defect which prompted the FDA and GlaxoSmithKline, Paxil’s manufacturer, to release a warning on using the drug during pregnancy.
