Medication and Birth Injuries

Medication

Medications to Beware Of

There are a few medications in particular that you should exercise caution with because they can harm your child. Some medications typically taken to help with anxiety and depression can come with consequences. Those that you should be aware of that are often linked to birth disorders include Lexapro, Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, and Fluvoxamine.

The Dangers of These Medications

During a mother’s pregnancy, she should avoid taking these medications because of how they can cause various known problems like spina bifida, limb abnormalities, neural tube defects, craniosynostosis, omphalocele, and heart defects. Taking the wrong medication during pregnancy can endanger your child. That is why you should be honest with your doctor and tell them about the types of medications you take. They can then let you know ahead of time if you are endangering your child and what alternatives to seek instead of continuing to take this medication.

Using Antibiotics

There are a few antibiotics that you can safely take during the pregnancy. However, there are also other ones to avoid because they can endanger the life of your baby. These have been linked to eye defects, heart defects, anencephaly, and cleft lip, to name a few disorders.

The most dangerous antibiotics to avoid during pregnancy include:

  • Tetracyclines
  • Nitrofurantoin
  • Sulfonamides

Some safer ones include:

  • Penicillin
  • Amoxicillin
  • Erythromycin
  • Clindamycin
  • Ampicillin

Should You Take Accutane?

Doctors prescribe Accutane, a type of vitamin A, to treat acne. But you should not take this medication while pregnant. In fact, medical researchers have linked it to severe birth defects and even infant death. The numbers are concerning: They estimate that between 25 to 35 percent of all women taking Accutane will give birth to infants with a birth defect. In fact, the manufacturers have even stated that you should not use Accutane three years before conceiving. That is one reason why many women experience issues while pregnant as a result of taking it.

Important to note, too, is that doctors have a legal obligation to ensure that they don’t give patients any medications that could increase their risks of their children having a birth injury like cerebral palsy. Many of these injuries could cause parents to seek financial help because of how the costs can add up. This is when speaking to a professional about getting financial assistance can help. You have to exercise caution with the types of medications you take because many can have adverse consequences. Simply being aware of what is safe and what isn’t can go a long way in ensuring that your baby gets the right start in life.

Celexa

Falling under the name of Citalopram, most people know this drug as Celexa. They classify this drug as an SSRI, which means that it’s a Selective Serotonin Reputake Inhibitor. Typically, they have prescribed this drug for people who deal with mental health problems like depression, anxiety and panic disorders. Some studies have shown how those who take Celexa could have an increased risk of birth defects while pregnant.

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Depakote

You see the prescription drug Depakote as prescribed to patients with epilepsy, bipolar disorder or migraine headaches. While it has popularly been used for these things, not everyone knows of the dangers that it poses to pregnant women. Especially while taken during the first trimester, the consequences of this drug can have an adverse impact on the infant. You have a wide range of birth defects that can arise. You should seek financial help if you find yourself in this position.

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Effexor

You have many new mothers who have suffered the ill effects of depression. Because of that, they take Effexor as a way to treat the depression and anxiety. Not many of them realize that the use of this drug can cause birth defects in children. You want to lower the risk of causing birth defects as much as possible.

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Lexapro

Of the 30 million Americans across the United States who take antidepressants as a way of coping with depression and anxiety, many of them are expectant mothers. That highlights some of the risks associated with it because pregnant mothers get burdened with some of the worst risks of these drugs. Medical researchers have linked serious birth defects with Lexapro. Whenever possible, you want to avoid birth injury to your child because some of these injuries like cerebral palsy can come with a lifetime of disability and financial costs.

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Paxil

Depression hits all ages, races and genders, but you commonly find women who suffer from depression and take antidepressants for it. Unfortunately, they don’t always realize the risks associated with taking these drugs while pregnant. You have to exercise caution to make sure that you don’t take a drug that will harm your child. Depression has especially been known to strike women during pregnancy because of how it changes the hormones.

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Prozac

Considered an SSRI, Prozac gets prescribed for bulimia, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety problems. The drug has its benefits, but in some cases, the side effects may outweigh the rewards, especially for pregnant women. Not only do you have the risk of maternal problems, but you could also give birth to a child with a birth disorder. You have a lot of people taking antidepressants, and while there’s no problem with that, it does become an issue for pregnant women.

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Topamax

A medication known as Topiramate, this antiepilepsy drug has often been used in coordination with Phentermine, and they use this as a tool for weight loss. Many women have taken this to try to lose weight. While it helps with epilepsy, you can also use it to prevent migraine headaches. Many studies have revealed how when a pregnant woman uses a lot of different medications, they put the child at increased risk for certain birth defects.

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Yaz

First designed and created by the pharmaceutical company Bayer, Yaz became a medication that remained one of the top birth control pills around. Unfortunately, you had some studies that showed how women were still getting pregnant even while on this drug. In addition to the fact that it doesn’t stop a pregnancy, women have an increased risk of health dangers.

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Zofran

Normally, your doctor prescribes Zofran to combat vomiting and nausea. Pregnant women will feel severe symptoms of morning sickness, and the doctor will give them a prescription in the first trimester to alleviate the symptoms. Despite some of the benefits, new research suggests the drug could have negative effects on the pregnant mother and the child she carries. Zofran could cause a birth injury.

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Zoloft

A brand of medication known as Zoloft, doctors prescribe this medication for depression, social anxiety and panic disorders. At one time, doctors prescribed this medication not knowing the consequences to the infant. Based on recent medical research, doctors have found the contrary that this medication can cause birth disorder in infants. In fact, you have a couple of other antidepressant medications that have a reputation for being dangerous to pregnant women. Zoloft falls under that category as well.

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Accutane

A medicine known as Accutane, doctors use this prescription medication as a way to treat acne, but a lot of people never realize the potential dangers that exist from it. You have some serious side effects for pregnant women, and unfortunately, the number of infants that suffer birth defects because of it is quite high. You have anywhere from 25 to 35 percent of children that suffer these birth defects with this prescription medication.

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