Do children suffer from mom's prozac?

[LPNweezy]

This is my theory, feel free to correct anything or poke holes in my thinking:

Teen depression and suicide has had a very dramatic increase within the last decades. this is my theory on why:

http://www.teendepression.org/stats/teenage-depression-statistics/

The wonderful antidepressant Prozac has been on the market since 1987, and women have been using it since. it has a pregnancy category of C. It is recommended that women continue anti-depressive treatment even in pregnancy, because being depressed can lead to other complications, suicide being the main one. (the benefits outweigh the risks kinda thing) Prozac crosses the blood brain barrier, so i know darn well it crosses the placenta. So the fetus is developing with an SSRI, this must somehow affect the fetus's brain development and serotonin levels. The child is born, taken away from the SSRI, and is now breastfeeding, and still receiving the SSRI until the mother either stops anti depressive therapy, or stops breast feeding. so this child has an impaired serotonin re-uptake center, and when the child develops ADHD, following teen depression, we all wonder why? i absolutely believe teen depression is linked to the anti depressive therapy used in pregnant and nursing mothers, this has been going on for quite some time, and we are now seeing the effects!

http://www.squidoo.com/chart-statistics-of-depression

[Davey Do]

LPNweezy- that is such an interesting theory! Of course, a theory is just that: a theory. But I gotta say, "It makes me think."

Basically, what you're saying is: When the stimulus that keeps the synaptic clefts bathed in seritonin is withdrawn, the Individual reacts with a depressive state. Hmmm...

Please allow me to play Devil's Advocate here... I wonder: Why do the depressive symptoms wait and manifest themselves in adolescence and not sooner?

MAYBE it's because the added stress of puberty puts the body's natural anti-depressant abilities to the test! Sooo those Adolescents who have faulty seritonin trigger mechanisms react with symptoms such as suicidal ideation when their bodies are being bombarded by hormones!

Whatta ya think?

Once again: Interesting.

Dave

[LPNweezy]

LPNweezy- that is such an interesting theory! Of course, a theory is just that: a theory. But I gotta say, "It makes me think."

Basically, what you're saying is: When the stimulus that keeps the synaptic clefts bathed in seritonin is withdrawn, the Individual reacts with a depressive state. Hmmm...

Please allow me to play Devil's Advocate here... I wonder: Why do the depressive symptoms wait and manifest themselves in adolescence and not sooner?

MAYBE it's because the added stress of puberty puts the body's natural anti-depressant abilities to the test! Sooo those Adolescents who have faulty seritonin trigger mechanisms react with symptoms such as suicidal ideation when their bodies are being bombarded by hormones!

Whatta ya think?

Once again: Interesting.

Dave

you got it! those are exactly my thoughts!!

[Whispera, MSN, RN]

I think it's an interesting theory but also think a mom's antidepression medication use would impact her child at a way-younger age than adolescence. I wonder if there's research about babies going through SSRI withdrawal syndrome at birth or when breastfeeding is completed. It would also be interesting to compare depression symptoms in children born to moms who take any sorts of psych meds and those whose moms don't during pregnancy.

I think teen-aged depression is more attached to environmental stressors (including having parents who take antidepression medications but it's not helping enough), than to their mom's use of the drugs during pregnancy.