Teen FAQ

From your question, I can look at what you are asking in 2 ways: 1. Depressants as a class of substances, aka "downers" such as alcohol or barbituates. These can cause certain birth defects in babies still in the womb. There is one particular condition called "Fetal Alcohol Syndrome" which involves mental retardation, which results from babies being exposed to too much alcohol while in utero. These drugs mainly affect babies brain development and mental development after they are born. 2. ANTI-Depressants as a class of drugs used to treat depression. Certain antidepressants are absolutely NOT used in pregnancy or breast-feeding moms because they are known to have harmful effects on babies' development. The new anti-depressants are considered to be safer. The one that has been studied the most is Prozac. So far, Prozac is considered safe for pregnant women and babies during pregnancy. Studies have shown that until age 2, there is no affect on a child's development. Now, we don't know if that child will be more or less likely to get depressed or have other mental illnesses as they get older, but so far the research in encouraging. Remember that we are selective about giving antidepressants to pregnant and breastfeeding women. We only use them if the likelihood of a woman being really badly affected by depression - to the point she possibly could hurt herself or her baby.