Antidepressants Like Prozac, Sarafem Can Affect Fetal Brain Development During Pregnancy: Study

The use of antidepressants during pregnancy could affect brain development of the fetus and potentially lead to mental health disorders later in life, according to a recent study. The peer-reviewed study, published in Nature Communications journal on Feb. 16, looked into the effects of fluoxetine, an antidepressant, on a fetus when taken by pregnant women. Fluoxetine is commonly used in drugs like Sarafem and Prozac to treat perinatal depression, a mood disorder that occurs during pregnancy and following childbirth. Fluoxetine raises serotonin levels in the brain, a chemical produced by nerve cells, and is considered a natural mood stabilizer. Researchers analyzed how serotonin impacts prefrontal cortex development in a fetus, a region of the brain that modulates higher-order cognitive processes. To do so, they looked at how a deficiency or a surplus of serotonin affects brain development in mice....