Antidepressants classified as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as Prozac and Paxil, may delay the flow of a new mom’s milk, according to findings published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology, HealthDay News reported.
Delayed lactation, or delayed secretory activation, is defined as when milk flow doesn’t begin until 72 hours or three days after a mother gives birth.
For the study, University of Cincinnati (UC) researchers examined 431 new mothers. Scientists found that mothers treated with SSRIs didn’t lactate until almost 86 hours after birth compared with about 69 hours for new moms not treated with the drugs.
The study results indicate that SSRIs might affect the breast’s serotonin regulation, said Nelson Horseman, PhD, a professor at UC’s College of Medicine, and the study’s co-author. This increases the risk that new mothers won’t be able to lactate a full milk supply directly after birth, Horseman added.
“This is important because correctly prescribed SSRIs are helpful medications for many mothers and understanding and ameliorating the difficulties they might experience can help them achieve their goals for breast-feeding their babies,” Horseman said.
The researcher concluded, however, that more human studies are needed before scientists can make specific SSRI recommendations to new moms concerning breast feeding.
Read about the growing trend of antidepressant use in America here.
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