Common antidepressant drugs linked to lactation difficulties in moms
According to a new study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM), women taking commonly
used forms of antidepressant drugs may experience delayed lactation after
giving birth and may need additional support to achieve their breastfeeding
goals.
Breastfeeding benefits both infants and mothers in many ways as breast milk
is easy to digest and contains antibodies that can protect infants from
bacterial and viral infections. The World Health Organization recommends
that infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of
life. This new study shows that certain common antidepressant drugs may be
linked to a common difficulty experienced by new mothers known as delayed
secretory activation, defined as a delay in the initiation of full milk
secretion.
"The breasts are serotonin-regulated glands, meaning the breasts' ability to
secrete milk at the right time is closely related to the body's production
and regulation of the hormone serotonin," said Nelson Horseman, PhD, of the
University of Cincinnati and co-author of the study. "Common antidepressant
drugs like fluoxetine, sertraline and paroxetine are known as selective
serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) drugs and while they can affect mood,
emotion and sleep they may also impact serotonin regulation in the breast,
placing new mothers at greater risk of a delay in the establishment of a
full milk supply."
In this study, researchers examined the effects of SSRI drugs on lactation
using laboratory studies of human and animal cell lines and genetically
modified mice. Furthermore, an observational study evaluated the impact of
SSRI drugs on the onset of milk production in postpartum women. In this
study of 431 postpartum women, median onset of lactation was 85.8 hours
postpartum for the SSRI-treated mothers and 69.1 hours for mothers not
treated with SSRI drugs. Researchers commonly define delayed secretory
activation as occurring later than 72 hours postpartum.
"SSRI drugs are very helpful medications for many moms, so understanding and
ameliorating difficulties moms experience can help them achieve their goals
for breastfeeding their babies," said Horseman. "More human research is
needed before we can make specific recommendations regarding SSRI use during
breastfeeding."
###
Other researchers working on the study include: Aaron Marshall, Laura
Hernandez and Karen Gregerson of the University of Cincinnati in Ohio;
Laurie Nommsen-Rivers of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center in
Ohio; Kathryn Dewey of the University of California at Davis; and Caroline
Chantry of the University of California Davis Medical Center in Sacramento.
The article, "Serotonin transport and metabolism in the mammary gland
modulates secretory activation and involution," will appear in the February
2010 issue of JCEM.
Founded in 1916, The Endocrine Society is the world's oldest, largest and
most active organization devoted to research on hormones and the clinical
practice of endocrinology. Today, The Endocrine Society's membership
consists of over 14,000 scientists, physicians, educators, nurses and
students in more than 100 countries. Society members represent all basic,
applied, and clinical interests in endocrinology. The Endocrine Society is
based in Chevy Chase, Maryland. To learn more about the Society and the
field of endocrinology, visit our site at <http://www.endo-society.org>
www.endo-society.org.
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