Claris Law Legal Blogging Community

Name:

E-mail:

Phone Number:

Zip Code:

Your Question:

Editor: Robert Binstock
Profession: Paxil Side Effect Attorney

Category: Paxil Birth Defects

A couple of new studies released in the recent months suggest the risk of birth defects associated selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) is less than it was once thought to be. The studies published at the end of June in the New England Journal of Medicine suggest that the absolute risk of serious birth defects is very small.

"It's a fairly reassuring message for women who need antidepressants and are pregnant or who plan on becoming pregnant," said Carol Louik, lead author of the first paper and an assistant professor of epidemiology at Boston University's Slone Epidemiology Center. "We saw no large risks, and the fewer elevated risks that we did see would only lead to very small absolute risks."

These studies conflict strongly with some that have been published in the past that advocate drugs like Paxil being responsible for a drastic increase in serious birth defects among using mothers. The studies do provide hopeful results for the future, but only time will tell what the future holds.

"These studies make a large contribution to the field, but they're not the final word by any means."