- WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- One
of the most popular antidepressants, best known by the brand name Prozac,
can affect the development of babies when pregnant women take the drug,
according to a government report released on Tuesday.
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- Normal doses can cause babies to be born lighter and
sleepier than normal, or make them jittery or cause respiratory problems,
the panel appointed by the National Toxicology Program said.
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- "These effects appear to result more readily from
in utero exposure late in gestation," the report, issued for public
comment, reads.
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- The report is a summary from a working group of experts
who studied dozens of medical studies using the drug, known generically
as fluoxetine.
-
- "The observed toxicity may be reversible, although
long-term follow-up studies have not been conducted to look for residual
effects," it adds.
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- "The evidence suggests that developmental toxicity
can also occur in the form of shortened gestational duration and reduced
birth weight at term."
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- The experts also noted several reports that found fluoxetine
could affect a patient's ability to achieve sexual climax -- both male
and female.
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- It can get into breast milk and is found in the blood
of newborns of mothers taking the drug.
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- The report, available on the Internet at http://cerhr.niehs.nih.gov/news/fluoxetine/fluoxetine_final.pdf
, says fluoxetine is widely used and can now be found in the environment.
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- "Fluoxetine has been reported in U.S. surface waters,
presumably derived from urine and feces of people on therapy," the
report reads. One researcher found fluoxetine in bluegill fish.
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- "The presence of fluoxetine ... in wastewater/groundwater/sediment
should be investigated," the report recommends.
-
- But the report noted it could be more dangerous for an
expectant or new mother to be seriously depressed.
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- "Mood disorders are common in women of child-bearing
years and it has been estimated that 15.6 percent of women meet criteria
for major depression during the third trimester of pregnancy," the
report reads.
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- The panel also said more study was needed to find out
how and why antidepressants such as fluoxetine can stimulate production
of new brain cells. That could also affect a fetus or newborn baby in unexpected
ways, they said.
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- Prozac is made by Eli Lilly and Co. and is also available
in generic form.
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- http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=571&ncid
=751&e=1&u=/nm/20040427/hl_nm/health_prozac_dc
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