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Written By: Editorial Team | Updated : June 22, 2014 12:15 PM IST
A recent study by researchers has revealed that pregnant women taking antidepressants may predispose their babies to obesity and type 2 diabetes at the later stage of life. The study found a correlation between increased risk of diabetes and obesity in infants and the use of fluoxetine medication by women during pregnancy. As per statistical evidence, nearly 20 percent of the American women and almost 7 percent of women in Canada are prescribed an antidepressant medication during their pregnancy. (Read: Clinical depression is the second biggest disability in the world!)
Study's senior investigator Alison Holloway, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at McMaster University, said obesity and Type 2 diabetes in children is on the rise and there is the argument that it is related to lifestyle and availability of high calorie foods and reduced physical activity, but our study has found that maternal antidepressant use may also be a contributing factor to the obesity and diabetes epidemic. (Read: Bored? You could actually be suffering from depression!)
Their study does not suggest women should avoid taking antidepressants during pregnancy, only that there may be risks associated with antidepressants that haven't been previously identified, Holloway says. (Read: Migraine sufferers twice as likely to have depression)
Antidepressant drugs all your queries answered
Anti-depressants are designed to ease depression by increasing the levels of serotonin in the brain, where it regulates mood. Owing to the fast-paced lifestyle accompanied with exponentially increasing day-to-day stress, mild to major depression is very common among Indians. What's more, increasing incidence of depression in India has been associated with the abuse or overuse of anti-depressants, leading to a silent epidemic of drug dependence and a wide array of complications. (Read: Clinical depression is the second biggest disability in the world!)
Side effects are common with all drugs, especially with antidepressants.
Side effects of SSRIs:
Side effects of tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs):
Read more about other side effects, dosage and precautions of anti-depressants
With inputs from ANI
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