New Warning Issued on Paxil (birth defects)

[UpInArms]

http://www.forbes.com/lifestyle/health/feeds/hscout/2005/09/28/hscout528227.html

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 28 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. health officials have issued a warning about possible birth defects in infants born to women who take the antidepressant Paxil during the first trimester of pregnancy.

A study sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline, the drug's maker, suggested that infants born to women taking Paxil were at about double the risk of birth defects compared with women taking other antidepressants. The most common defects were cardiovascular. The risks were about 50 percent higher than they were in the general population.

GlaxoSmithKline, which first alerted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration of the problems around Sept. 6, anticipates labeling changes to the drug, said company spokeswoman Mary Ann Rhyne.

"We've also taken this information to regulatory bodies around the world to voluntarily add this to the label," she said. "That discussion, as I understand it, is how to handle it."

...more...

[CountAllVotes]

1. kick!!!!!!!!!!!!

:kick: and thanks for the link!

[nashville_brook]

2. wow -- that's kinda major.

[DeepModem Mom]

3. kick

[hallc]

4. Yikes

Its a shame that Docs have been telling pregnant women to keep taking it during their pregnancy. Even though they knew it was drug class C which means they had no freaking clue how it would affect a fetus.