In response to Debbie's request for info on antidepressants.  Thus far,
only two of the newer serotonin reuptake inhibitors have been studied in
Bfing moms,  Prozac and Zoloft.   Prozac plasma levels in one infant were
equivalent to the mom's blood levels,  which means that this infant was
receiving,  or retaining,   high levels of Prozac.  This infant was
irritable, and very colicy.  The half-life of the prozac metabolite is
extremely long,  and may account for the accumulation in this one
breastfeeding infant.

The only other study I have seen is with Zoloft(sertraline).  In this study,
the plasma levels in the infant were not detectible although the drug was
detectible in the moms milk,  and no overt symptoms were noted in the
infant.(J.Clin. Psy  56: 243, 1995).  Sertraline has a shorter half-life
than many of the other SSRIs.

I personally do not feel comfortable with using these compounds in depressed
moms.  We simply do not know the long-term outcome of these infants who are
exposured either in utero,  or post-partum via breastmilk.

Tom Hale
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T.W. Hale, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Texas Tech University School of Medicine

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