The heart is the chamber that is responsible in providing nourishment to the entire body by means of effectively pumping blood. If malformations are present, not only is the heart affected but the entire body as well. One type of birth defect is Atrial Septal Defect. This condition is congenital in nature and is characterized by an opening in the wall between the upper heart chambers. Atrial Septal Defects, the most common heart defect, were observed in babies born to women who took Paxil and some had Paxil miscarriages when they took the medication during the first few months of pregnancy.


Facts on Atrial Septal Defect (ASD)


About 1 in 2000 babies suffer from Atrial Septal Defects with girls outnumbering the boys, 3:1. Smaller ASD’s can spontaneously close without being repaired but this is rather rare within the first two years of life. For the larger and long-standing defects, a surgical intervention is needed so potential complications can be avoided in the future. This condition can be diagnosed at birth but most often than not, definite diagnosis are done when one reaches adulthood. For these people, they usually begin feel the symptoms at the age of 30 onwards. Individuals with larger ASD’s usually exhibit or experience the following: 


•             Abnormal heart sounds

•             Shortness of breath especially upon physical exertion

•             Easily gets fatigued

•             Bluish skin tint that is easily observed on nail beds and the lips

•             Observable swelling of the lower extremities and the abdomen

•             Frequent lung infections

•             Stroke


The mentioned signs and symptoms should not be taken lightly as they can lead to other potential complications namely pulmonary hypertension, abnormal heart rhythms, increased risk of having a stroke and death.


Paxil’s Association with Atrial Septal Defect


A Pregnancy Category B was assigned to Paxil by the U.S. FDA before studies showed that it may significantly harm the growing fetus. In 2005, the FDA released a warning on pregnant women and their doctors as a study showed that Paxil takers were twice as likely to give birth to infants with heart defects like ASD. Another study also showed that risks of developing heart defects rose from 1 percent to 2 percent in babies born to Paxil users. These are rather serious findings which is why the FDA along with GlaxoSmithKline, Paxil’s manufacturer, reclassified the medication into Pregnancy Category D.