Paxil During Pregnancy & Birth Defects

Taking Paxil during pregnancy may cause birth defects to a woman's child, according to recent studies that show increased chances of harming the developing fetus when a woman takes Paxil during her pregnancy.

In the December 2006 issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology, the official journal of The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, obstetricians recommend that, if possible, women should avoid taking the antidepressant drug Paxil during pregnancy or if they are trying to become pregnant. Obstetricians have found a significant correlation between children born with birth defects and women who were prescribed Paxil during pregnancy.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ recommendation that women should avoid Paxil during pregnancy comes almost a year after the manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline and the Food and Drug Administration relabeled the antidepressant drug to take into account studies that have shown that Paxil may harm developing fetuses. In making the decision, the FDA cited two studies that showed that women who had consumed Paxil during their first trimester of pregnancy had infants who were twice as likely to be born with birth defects as those whose mothers did not take Paxil.

Doctors affiliated with The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists also stated that decisions with regard to whether or not pregnant women should be treated with Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), a class of antidepressants that includes Paxil, Lexapro, Prozac, and Zoloft, should be made on a case by case basis. Although women taking SSRIs while pregnant have a greater chance of delivering children who may be afflicted with medical problems, doctors emphasize that for some women the benefits of taking SSRIs may outweigh the risks. For that reason, women should consult their doctor before discontinuing any prescribed antidepressants.

For over two decades, birth defect lawyers at Levy Phillips & Konigsberg, LLP, has helped families caring for children with birth defects, which have arisen as a result of medication side effects, medical malpractice, or occupational and environmental hazards, to seek compensation for their children’s injuries.

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