Is There A Link Between Antidepressants And Birth Defects?

The rate of mental disorder diagnoses has grown exponentially in recent years, as has antidepressant use. People of all ages are being prescribed mind-altering drugs to battle depression, despite evidence suggesting they do more harm than good and sometimes don’t work at all. ^[1][2] The massive use has also contributed to antidepressants being found in the public water supply. You could be one of the millions of people who are ingesting these chemical drugs and don’t even know it. Now, new evidence is even linking antidepressants to birth defects.

Antidepressants and Birth Defects

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) examined birth defects among babies born between 1997 and 2009. Of the 38,000 women who gave birth, there was a high incidence of birth defects from the mothers taking fluoxetine (Prozac) and paroxetine (Paxil). ^[3] Now this study doesn’t necessarily prove that antidepressants cause defects (correlation doesn’t equal causation), but it does point us in a new direction in the terms of health monitoring.

Women taking antidepressants who are pregnant or considering getting pregnant should really weigh all options. Antidepressants aren’t uniform, so they don’t have the same effect for each and every person. There are alternative ways of supporting mental health that don’t involve these powerful mind meds.

Antidepressants don’t get to the root cause, they just mask the problem. Ultimately, if you want sustained improvement, you need to get at what’s causing the issue. Sometimes the problem is physical and an imbalanced mood is how it manifests. Thyroid disorders and even digestive disorders, like IBS, will often seem like depression, and many people are incorrectly diagnosed with depression and given an antidepressant prescription. ^[4] The “food mood” connection is also significant, as is the connection between gut flora and mental health. Eating a healthy organic diet can help support mood, as can foods that are high in probiotics, or a good probiotic supplement.

References:

1. Elisa Cascade, Amir H. Kalali, MD, and Sidney H. Kennedy, MD, FRCPC. Real-World Data on SSRI Antidepressant Side Effects. Psychiatry (Edgmont). 2009 Feb;6(2): 16-18.


2. Irving Kirsch. Antidepressants and the Placebo Effect. Z Psychol. 2014; 222(3): 128-134. doi: 10.1027/2151-2604/a000176.


3. Jennita Reefhuis, Owen Devine, Jan M. Friedman, Carol Louik, Margaret A. Honein. Specific SSRIs and birth defects: bayesian analysis to interpret new data in the context of previous reports. BMJ 2015 ; 351. doi: 10.1136/bmj.h3190.


4. Mirella P. Hage and Sami T. Azar. The Link between Thyroid Function and Depression. J Thyroid Res. 2012; 2012: 590648. doi: 10.1155/2012/590648.

7 Things Expecting Mothers Need To Know

Maybe you’re a new mother and are expecting a new bundle of joy. Of course, you want to make sure things are just right for your baby, and part of that starts with the choices you make right now. Making sure you are limiting (or preferably avoiding altogether) toxic exposure is a great first step. One avenue to consider is traffic pollution. Cutting that out of your life completely might not be practical, but there’s recent evidence that suggests it could be harming your unborn child. In fact, women who are exposed to high traffic pollution during the second trimester are at a greater risk of giving birth to a child with fragile lungs. ^[1][2]

7 Things to Watch Out For

Unfortunately, today’s world is rife with toxic contaminants, and traffic pollution is just one thing you need to reduce when expecting. Here are 7 more things for you to think about during your pregnancy and beyond.

1. Watch Out for Household Chemicals

Found in many common products, triclosan is a pretty nasty endocrine disruptor that could be harming your baby. ^[3] The germ-killer triclocarban—found in some bar soaps—is also a concern. While it’s not completely clear what these endocrine disruptors can do, studies have linked triclosan to liver cancer, and more children are being exposed to both of these toxins in the womb. ^[4]

     2. Beware of BPA and BPS Products

Used in lots of plastic goods, BPA is bad news for the endocrine system, and its substitute BPS really isn’t much better. You probably get more BPA exposure than you think from those thermal receipts that are so popular nowadays, and if a company uses BPS…well, they can label that item as BPA-free. Pregnant women might want to be especially wary of endocrine disruptors, since a recent study suggests both BPA and BPS could cause “real and measurable changes in the development of a brain region that plays a key role in fear, impulse-control, obesity and early puberty.” ^[5] It’s also a smart idea to check with your hospital about the BPA status of medical equipment. ^[6]

3. Phthalates Can Harm Your Baby’s IQ

A recent report suggests children exposed to high-levels of phthalates in the womb are more likely to have lower IQs—possibly by as much as seven points. ^[7] One of the researchers commented a drop like that could have a significant impact on academic achievement. But, unfortunately, phthalates are all around us. One of the toxins (di-n-butyl phthalate) could even be used in pill coatings. ^[8] So while avoiding exposure might be impossible, reducing it definitely can’t hurt.

4. That Glass of Red Wine Might Not Be as Safe as You’ve Been Told

Resveratrol is a natural antioxidant in red wine that’s said to do everything from combat obesity to help with heart disease. Just one glass of red wine can’t hurt, right? Well, recent evidence suggests this ‘health food’ in a glass could damage your unborn baby’s pancreas. Just keep in mind, however, that what might be healthy for the mother may not be that great for the developing fetus. ^[9]

5. A New Nursery Can Be the Source of Harmful Toxins

When waiting for your new arrival, your instinct is to create the perfect nursery. Often, that could involve installing new flooring, but a recent study suggests that might not be the best idea. ^[10] Toxins like styrene and ethylbenzene can be used in carpet glue and in laminate. We know these toxins are bad news, but they can be even worse for developing lungs—both before and after birth—potentially causing wheezing and other breathing problems.

6. Antidepressants Can Cause Autism

While you should never just stop taking your medication without a doctor’s consent, a recent study suggests a pregnant woman’s use of antidepressants could slightly increase the risk for autism in her child. ^[11] These findings are still new and more research is needed, but the trick for researchers will be balancing the mental health of mother and child. The good news, though, is taking prenatal vitamins could reduce the autism risk by half. ^[12]

     7. Don’t Let Your Kid Put Toys in Their Mouth

While 6 phthalates are banned in children’s toys in the U.S., unbanned—and sometimes even banned—ones can show up in toys. Studies reveal that early exposure to phthalates can harm male reproduction and influence early puberty. ^[13] One study found higher than legal limits of lead and chromium in certain toys. So, for health’s sake, make sure to keep those toys away from little mouths.

One Final Thought

Toxins can be such a danger to our children; unfortunately, many doctors don’t talk about these things with new and expecting mothers, so you need to educate yourself. Let this be one step towards learning as much as you can about what toxins can potentially harm your baby.

Do you want to know more for your baby’s sake? Please feel free to leave you thoughts or questions in the comments.

References:

1. Morales, E. et al. Intrauterine and early postnatal exposure to outdoor air pollution and lung function at preschool age. Thorax. 70.


2. Sly, P. D. Traffic-related air pollution: an avoidable exposure to improve respiratory health. Thorax. 70.


3. Pycke, B. F. et al. Human fetal exposure to triclosan and triclocarban in an urban population from Brooklyn, New York. Environmental Science & Technology. 48 (15).


4. Dinwiddie, M., Terry, P. & Chen, J. Recent Evidence Regarding Triclosan and Cancer Risk. International Journal of Environmental Responsibility and Public Health. 11 (2).


5. Kinch, C. et al. Low-dose exposure to bisphenol A and replacement bisphenol S induces precocious hypothalamic neurogenesis in embryonic zebrafish. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 112 (5).


6. Mallow, E. B. & Fox, M. A. Phthalates and critically ill neonates: device-related exposures and non-endocrine toxic risks. Journal of Perinatology. 34.


7. Factor-Litvak, P. et al. Persistent Associations between Maternal Prenatal Exposure to Phthalates on Child IQ at Age 7 Years. PLOS ONE.


8. Kelley, K. et al. Identification of Phthalates in Medications and Dietary Supplement Formulations in the United States and Canada. Environmental Health Perspectives. 120 (3).


9. Roberts, V. et al. Beneficial and cautionary outcomes of resveratrol supplementation in pregnant nonhuman primates. FASEB. 28 (6).


10. Franck, U. et al. Prenatal VOC exposure and redecoration are related to wheezing in early infancy. Environment International. 73.


11. Harrington, R. et al. Prenatal SSRI Use and Offspring With Autism Spectrum Disorder or Developmental Delay. Pediatrics.


12. Schmidt, RJ. Prenatal vitamins, one-carbon metabolism gene variants, and risk for autism. Epidemiology. 22 (4).


13. US Public Interest Research Group. Trouble in Toyland. US Public Interest Research Group.