SSRIs (antidepressants) have had somewhat of a panacea status with physicians prescribing the meds for all sorts of off label usage, particularly during the boom of the drugs existence over the past half decade. However, there has been a steady reporting of concerns related to the drugs as time progresses. Most people have heard about the adolescent suicide risk associated with the medication, and a new study is reporting that mothers taking the drugs put their newborns at risk for being under-weight and having respiratory problems.

”There was a significantly greater incidence of respiratory distress (13.9% vs. 7.8%) and longer hospital stays for infants born to depressed mothers on SSRIs than those born to untreated depressed mothers, the team reports in the Archives of General Psychiatry.”

Obviously, people should consult with their psychiatrists or health care providers for specific treatment information. I think the overall effect of some of these stories is going to be that people are more cautious about taking the drugs, and asking more pointed questions about their treatment.

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    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 29 Aug 2006
    Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.