Effects of Taking Drugs During Pregnancy

Effexor and Pregnancy Side Effects

Effexor and pregnancy have for long not known how they are related. Babies who got exposed to Effexor before birth have a high risk of developing side effects. The side effects include developmental delays, lung and heart defects. Though little research on risk & pregnancy defects has been conducted, similar medications have resulted to serious risks on the newborn babies.  

Effexor (venlafaxine) is included in the list of SNRIs (serotonin norepinephrine re-uptake inhibitors). This means that it inhibits the uptake of both serotonin and norepinephrine.

Wyeth, the manufacturers, claims that it helps increase levels of norepinephrine and serotonin between the cells of the brain hence boosts transmission of the electrical signals in the brain thus improving the overall well being of the patient.

Recent studies have raised eyebrows over the Effexor’ side effects though the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) had approved it.

A recent research has shown that women who were using Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) in their 1^st trimester of the pregnancy have a 40% greater risk of bearing malformed babies. They also have a 60% risk of having babies with heart defects.

Another study shows a link between SSRIs & major malformations like the cardiac malformation. The risk is higher to women who had prescriptions for Effexor filled in the 30 days before conception at the end of the 1^st trimester in comparison with those who had no Effexor prescriptions during the same period.

Effexor has been placed in Pregnancy Category C by the FDA. It implies that FDA knows that it causes risk to the unborn if used during pregnancy.

Effexor and Pregnancy Developmental Delays

A recent study has linked babies exposed to Effexor on their 2^nd or 3^rd trimester of pregnancy to numerous developmental delays. The delays included walking later and delay in sitting upright without support compared to children not exposed to Effexor. The children exposed to Effexor sat 16 days later & walked a month later when compared to children not exposed to Effexor.

At the age of 19 months, the exposed children had difficulty occupying themselves above 15 minutes compared to children not exposed to Effexor.

Researchers concluded that Effexor use during pregnancy had a permanent or reversible effect on the fetal brain development though the intensity depends on the time the pregnancy got exposed.

Effexor and Pregnancy Defects

Here are defects linked to use of Effexor during pregnancy:

·         Cleft lip & cleft palate.

·         Club foot. One or two feet turn inward and downward.

·         Anal atresia. This is the partial or complete closure of the anus.

·         Neural-tube defects. This is the brain & spinal cord defects.

·         Craniosynostosis. It is an abnormally shaped skull.

Serotonin Norepinephrine Re-uptake Inhibitors (SNRI)

Effexor is used as an antidepressant. It is used to treat serious depression & other mood disorder. The Effexor works by increasing the levels of both serotonin & norepinephrine which are the major transmitters in the brain.

Pristiq, also known as desvenlafaxine, is a major antidepressant drug manufactured by Pfizer. It has similar side effects.