Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed 2001;84:F77
( January )
Letters to the editor
Withdrawal reactions of a
premature neonate after maternal use of
paroxetine
| The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below. |
EDITOR
Paroxetine is an antidepressant of the
selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) group. Its use during
pregnancy can lead to premature birth and neonatal withdrawal symptoms.
A girl was born after 35+2 weeks gestation (birth weight 2690 g) and
admitted because of prematurity. The pregnancy and delivery had been
uneventful (Apgar score 9/10/10), with no apparent reason for
prematurity. There were no problems in the first few days and she drank
quickly (bottle feeding).
Thereafter she became irritable, lethargic, and needed tube feeding.
She was hypertonic, apathetic, and jittery. The Finnegan score, a
behaviour score for neonatal withdrawal reactions, was from day 1 to
10: 0, 0, 2, 2, 9, 9, 6, 6, 7, 7. There were no signs of infection;
opiate and metabolic screening were negative. Cerebral ultrasound and
an electroencephalogram were normal. The maternal use of paroxetine
seemed to be the explanation. The baby improved spontaneously and was
discharged at 37+6 weeks gestation. The Finnegan score had returned to
. . . [Full text of this article]
