Yale Bulletin and Calendar

December 5, 2003|Volume 32, Number 13



BULLETIN HOME

VISITING ON CAMPUS

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

IN THE NEWS

BULLETIN BOARD

CLASSIFIED ADS


SEARCH ARCHIVES

DEADLINES

DOWNLOAD FORMS

BULLETIN STAFF


PUBLIC AFFAIRS HOME

NEWS RELEASES

E-MAIL US


YALE HOME PAGE


Study: Mother's anti-depressant
doesn't affect her nursing baby

Most breastfed infants nurse without showing meaningful effects from their mothers taking 20-40 mg of the anti-depressant fluoxetine (Prozac) daily, according to a study by Yale researchers.

Postpartum major depression affects about 10% of women. Prozac belongs to a class of anti-depressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which are the most commonly prescribed class of anti-depressants for postpartum depression.

The researchers based their findings on 11 breastfed infants before and after their mothers took Prozac for eight weeks. The infants were 4-12 weeks of age during the study.

"Ten of the 11 infants experienced little or no decline in blood serotonin concentrations after exposure to fluoxetine through breast milk," says Dr. Neill Epperson, assistant professor of psychiatry and obstetrics and gynecology at the School of Medicine and lead author of the study in the November issue of the journal Pediatrics.

A decline in blood serotonin levels would have suggested that the infants received enough of the drug through their mother's breast milk to affect brain serotonin function, according to the researchers. Serotonin is a chemical in the brain that is believed to influence mood, appetite, sleep and other aspects of behavior and cognition.

Epperson says her advice to women who are thinking of breastfeeding and taking an anti-depressant is to weigh a range of factors, including the severity of the postpartum depression, their response to the anti-depressant, and their commitment to breastfeeding.

She says the infants are being evaluated for any impact of their exposure to anti-depressants on motor and cognitive development.

Co-authors included Dr. Peter Jatlow, Kathryn Czarkowski and George Anderson, all of Yale.

-- By Jacqueline Weaver


T H I SW E E K ' SS T O R I E S

Groundbreakings celebrate construction of new chemistry and
engineering buildings

Eire autobiography wins National Book Award

Dyslexia has been hurdle for scientist and 'Ironman' competitor


ENDOWED PROFESSORSHIPS

In Focus: Center for Faith and Culture

Center aims to ease patients' anxiety about breast cancer

Noël Valis' book awarded Modern Language Association prize

Journalist reports greater willingness to talk openly in China

City students to study Shakespeare in new Yale Rep program

Drama School to stage Wilder's play about 'First Family'

Human evolution preserved in 'pseudogenes,' say scientists

Study: Mother's anti-depressant doesn't affect her nursing baby

Study shows spiritual belief and prayer can aid high-risk youth

The Fine Art of Shopping

'Sacred spaces' on campus featured in new calendar

Alternative Gift Market allows shoppers to help the world's poor

Pepper Center awards will support research related to aging process

Scientists to refine literacy game with support from grant

Dr. Barry Kacinski dies; renowned for work in field of DNA repair

Leon Clark dies; his work enhanced understanding of other cultures

Yale Books in Brief

Campus Notes


Bulletin Home|Visiting on Campus|Calendar of Events|In the News

Bulletin Board|Classified Ads|Search Archives|Deadlines

Bulletin Staff|Public Affairs|News Releases| E-Mail Us|Yale Home