Antipsychotic Drugs Could Harm Newborns, FDA Says

Women prescribed antipsychotic medication should notify their doctors if they become pregnant, according to a drug safety communication from the FDA.

The communication was sparked by a recent discovery that some newborns whose mothers took the drug during their third trimester of pregnancy experienced symptoms including agitation, tremors, abnormally increased or decreased muscle tone, severe difficulty breathing and difficulty in feeding. As a result, the agency has updated the pregnancy section of drug labels for the entire class of medication.

The important change went unreported by mainstream media outlets, despite the fact that in 2009, antipsychotics generated the most revenue in U.S. drug sales compared to any other class of medications, even more than statins, which are cholesterol-lowering medications, or antidepressants.

Antipsychotics are used to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and in some cases depression. You may have seen a commercial for one of these drugs, Abilify (aripiprazole). Other popular antipsychotics include Seroquel (quetiapine), Risperdal (risperidone) and Zyprexa (olanzapine).

Medications, whether prescription or over-the-counter, fill our bathroom cabinets. In a world where so many new medications are coming onto the market, it can be difficult catch safety updates, labeling changes and recall information.

Therefore, for this week’s Moms Talk Q&A, we ask:

Where do you go to find information about medications that affect you and your loved ones?