Birth Injury Resource Center

PPHN Advisories, Studies and Articles

FDA Alerts

FDA Alert: Increased Risk of Neonatal Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension
This FDA notice warns healthcare professionals of a study in which infants born to mothers who took SSRIs after the 20th week of pregnancy were six times more likely to have PPHN than mothers who did not take the drugs.

FDA Public Health Advisory
This alert warns that patients and their physicians must carefully discuss the benefits and risks associated with antidepressant treatment during pregnancy.

FDA Subcommittee Recommends SSRI Warnings on Patient Labeling
An overview of the June 9, 2004 hearing in which the FDA's Pediatric Subcommittee of its Anti-Infective Drugs Advisory Committee speaks out on the potential risks of prenatal exposure to SSRIs.

Related Studies

Selective Serotonin-Reuptake Inhibitors and Risk of Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn
A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine which assesses the link between PPHN and the exposure to SSRIs during late pregnancy. The results showed a dramatically increased risk of PPHN in newborns of mothers who took SSRIs after the 20th week of gestation.

Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome After In Utero Exposure to SSRIs in Term Infants
A study published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine which concluded that withdrawal symptoms such as crying, tremors and disturbed sleep occur in 30% of newborns exposed to SSRIs in the womb.

Articles of Interest

Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension
A medical overview of PPH, a serious disorder in which blood blow to an infant's lungs is restricted after delivery. Covers symptoms, diagnosis and treatment.

Antidepressants: Are They Safe During Pregnancy?
An insightful article which discusses the pros and cons of taking SSRIs and other types of antidepressant medications during pregnancy.

When Your Baby's in the NICU
A valuable resource for parents whose newborns must receive care in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of a hospital. This article covers questions to ask, types of providers in the NICU, and tips for making a NICU stay more manageable.