The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has announced that pregnant women and those who plan to become so should avoid taking the antidepressant Paxil if possible because of a risk of birth defects. They also cautioned against pregnant women taking a number of other related antidepressants, but said cases should be considered on an individual basis.
It’s not always a simple matter of avoiding these medications, however. The ACOG says that “reproductive-age women have the highest prevalence of major depressive disorders. The benefit to the mother of treatment with any of the drugs may outweigh the risk to the fetus.” One more thing to discuss with your own health-care provider.
