Loading...
Withdrawal reactions after discontinuation of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are well documented in adults. Several cases have been reported of neonatal withdrawal syndrome associated with SSRIs; such reactions are characterized by convulsions, irritability, abnormal crying, and tremor. In an attempt to determine more conclusively whether maternal SSRI use causes neonatal withdrawal, investigators used a World Health Organization database of adverse drug reactions reported by national centers in 72 countries.
By mid-2003, 93 cases of maternal SSRI use associated with either neonatal convulsions or withdrawal syndrome were reported from 11 countries. About two thirds of cases were associated with paroxetine, but cases also we…