It’s a given that any woman wants to have a healthy baby. It would follow that normally a mother-to-be would take any precaution necessary to make that happen. She would stop smoking and drinking alcohol, as it is common knowledge now that these cause birth defects, low birth weights and other health problems. What about the use of psychiatric drugs during pregnancy? These, too, should be considered, as they equally qualify as hazardous to the babies’ health.


Recently the FDA announced that psychiatric drugs such as Depakote and Depacon, used to treat epilepsy, migraines and bipolar disorder, have been found to lessen intellectual abilities of the children whose mothers took these drugs during pregnancy. Their IQ test scores were lower and they were found to be lacking in the ability to process information, solve problems and make decisions. These drugs are also linked to an increased risk of birth defects such as spina bifida which is a condition resulting in partial or full lower body paralysis.


In the case of pregnant women taking antidepressants, the outlook is pretty grim for the offspring. Since antidepressants are attempting to alter brain chemistry to “correct” it, imagine what the toxic drugs are doing to a developing brain. Normal brain cell development is impaired resulting in brain damage and dysfunction.


In a study done by the Centers for Disease Control, severe birth defects occurred two to three times more often in the first trimester when women were taking antidepressants. The word “severe” should not be overlooked here. The defects are the unimaginable such as birth without a forebrain, organs born outside the body and a premature closing of the bones of the babies’ skull.


There is also the fact that the baby will experience withdrawal symptoms since the baby is no longer receiving toxic chemicals via the mother. This means tremors, disturbed sleep, rapid breathing, irritability, high pitched crying and respiratory stress. An increased risk of chronic difficulty getting oxygen in the lungs exists which could result in further illness or even death.


A factual study of the risks and alternatives is always a wise choice. Fully Informed parents can prevent the types of tragedies that occur from the use of psychiatric drugs when pregnant.