New study claims babies experience brain damage when pregnant mothers take Prozac
In this DML Report…
A new study published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry has found that exposure to fluoxetine, the active ingredient in Prozac, during pregnancy or nursing alters brain development in offspring, potentially increasing vulnerability to neurological and psychiatric conditions later in life. Researchers divided pregnant and nursing rats into three groups: one receiving fluoxetine in their drinking water during gestation, another during lactation, and a control group with plain water. Offspring were monitored from adolescence into adulthood through behavioral tests assessing pleasure response to sugar water and object recognition, alongside brain tissue analyses. The results showed that prenatal exposure in male rats accelerated the opening of critical brain development windows, leading to anhedonia—a core symptom of depression—in adulthood, while postnatal exposure in female rats delayed these windows, resulting in memory deficits. These changes reprogrammed the brain's reward system and disrupted the development of cells that filter sensory information, with effects manifesting over time.
The most pronounced impacts occurred in the hippocampus, a region central to memory and emotional regulation, where altered gene expression disrupted the timing of neural development triggers and halts. This led to physical restructuring and rewiring of brain connectivity: male brains showed patterns associated with depression, while female brains exhibited impairments linked to memory loss. Fluoxetine, an SSRI that boosts serotonin receptor activity, is among the antidepressants used by about 5 percent of women in early pregnancy, according to a 2020 U.S. study. Newborns exposed in utero face immediate risks including temporary withdrawal symptoms like jitters and breathing difficulties, as well as higher chances of preterm birth, low birth weight, and persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn. However, the study emphasizes that untreated maternal depression during pregnancy also poses significant threats, such as preterm birth, intrauterine growth restriction, and long-term child issues including impulse control problems, social difficulties, and learning impairments.
(read more below)
With 5.7 million Americans currently taking fluoxetine for depression and anxiety, and national depression rates rising from 8 percent in 2013-2014 to 13.1 percent between 2021 and 2023—highest at 19.2 percent among adolescents—the findings underscore the need for balanced risk assessment in prenatal care. Researchers caution that while the rat model provides mechanistic insights, human studies are essential to validate these results before any changes to medical guidelines. They suggest potential interventions to normalize abnormal developmental timing could mitigate risks, but stress that decisions on antidepressant use must weigh maternal mental health against fetal exposure concerns.