Anencephaly - Paxil Birth Defect
Fetal Development brain defect
Anencephaly is a congenital birth defect. Specifically, it is a defect in the closure of the neural tube during fetal development.
The neural tube is a narrow channel that folds and closes between the 23rd and 26th day of pregnancy to form the brain. As a result, a child born with this defect has no forebrain.
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) further describes Anencephaly:
Anencephaly occurs when the "cephalic" or head end of the neural tube fails to close, resulting in the absence of a major portion of the brain, skull, and scalp. Infants with this disorder are born without a forebrain (the front part of the brain) and a cerebrum (the thinking and coordinating part of the brain). The remaining brain tissue is often exposed--not covered by bone or skin.
A baby born with anencephaly is usually blind, deaf, unconscious, and unable to feel pain. Although some individuals with anencephaly may be born with a rudimentary brain stem, the lack of a functioning cerebrum permanently rules out the possibility of ever gaining consciousness. Reflex actions such as breathing and responses to sound or touch may occur.
paxil Birth Defect study
The National Birth Defects Prevention Study (NBDPS) examined information from 9,622 infants with major birth defects and 4,092 infants without major birth defects between 1997 and 2002.
The NBDPS found an association between SSRI, like Paxil, use and three specific birth defects: a defect of the brain, one type of abnormal skull development and a gastrointestinal abnormality.
Specifically, the study showed that those mothers that used an SSRI had a 2.4 percent higher risk of having a baby with anencephaly, or no brain.
Other Paxil Birth Defects
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