A bill which has passed the House of Representatives is about to be voted on
by the key Senate Committee in charge of this legislation — it is called "The
Mother's Act" (S. 1375)
WE DON'T WANT THIS BILL TO PASS. SCREENING PREGNANT WOMEN FOR DEPRESSION WILL
OPEN THE DOOR TO FALSE LABELS AND DRUGGING.
Contact your Representatives and Senators and tell them to stop the Mother’s Act (H.R. 20 / S. 1375).
CALLS, OR FAXES, ARE NEEDED TODAY TO THE LIST OF SENATE COMMITTEE MEMBERS
BELOW.
This easy to do:
1) Call the numbers below and when the receptionist answers say, "I would like
to leave a message for the Senator."
2) The receptionist will take your message.
3) TELL THEM YOU ARE OPPOSED TO "THE MOTHER'S ACT" (S.1375) because of the
damage that will be done to mothers and infants due to the treatment that
will result from the legislation. Mothers need understanding and
compassionate medical care, not unscientific labels and mind altering
drugs. (Use your own words...keep it brief, mention the bill number)
4) Pass this on to others....THANKS!!!!!
Sen. Michael B. Enzi (WY)
Tele 202 224-3424
Fax: 202 228-0359
Sen. Judd Gregg (NH)
Tele 202 224-3324
Fax 202 224-4952
Sen. Lamar Alexander (TN)
Tele 202 224-4944
Fax 202 228-3398
Sen. Richard Burr (NC)
Tele 202 224-3154
Fax 202 228-2981
Sen. Johnny Isakson (GA)
Tele 202 224-3643
Fax 202 228-0724
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (AK)
Tele 202 224-6665
Fax 202 224-5301
Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (UT)
Tele 202 224-5251
Fax 202 224-6331
Sen. Pat Roberts (KS)
Tele 202 224-4774
Fax 202 224-3514
Sen. Wayne Allard (CO)
Tele 202 224-5941
Fax 202 224-6471
Sen. Tom Coburn (OK)
Tele 202 224-5754
Fax 202 224-6008
Current legislation moving through Congress called the “Mother’s Act” (H.R. 20 in the House and S 1375 in the Senate) seeks to "educate," “screen” and "treat" new mothers for postpartum depression. This sounds like a good idea, until you hear the specifics of what is planned.
The bill defines postpartum depression as “a devastating mood disorder which strikes many women during and after pregnancy." The idea is to first screen as many pregnant women and new mothers as possible for depression using a 10-question survey, and “treat” those who they deem have depression or postpartum depression with antidepressants.
Despite numerous studies showing a link between Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant use by pregnant women and spontaneous abortion or birth defects in newborns, the primary treatments that will be recommended are these newer SSRI antidepressants!
SSRIs Have Been Linked to Spontaneous Abortion
and Birth Defects in Newborns
Here is just a sampling of studies that point this out:
May 1993: A study published in the Journal of The American Medical Association reported that of 117 pregnancies where the mother took Prozac during the first trimester, the risk of miscarriage was 14.8% compared to 7.8% in mothers not exposed to Prozac or other antidepressants.[1]
November 1993: The Journal of the American Medical Association reported in a study that the risk of spontaneous abortion in women taking the SSRI antidepressant Prozac was as high as 15.9% and 3.4% perinatal (around the birth) malformations.[2]
August 2003: The Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration reported that the use of SSRIs during or after pregnancy could result in newborn babies experiencing withdrawal effects and could also experience a toxic effect from ingestion of an SSRI in breast-milk. Withdrawal effects the baby experienced included agitation, jitteriness, poor feeding, sleepiness/lethargy, gastrointestinal symptoms and hypotania (deficient tone or tension).[3] (The Physicians Desk Reference also warns that Paxil can be secreted through breast milk).
September 2005: Studies conducted by Danish and U.S. researchers determined that the use of SSRIs in the first three months of pregnancy was linked to a 40% increased risk of birth defects such as cleft palate and cardiac defects appeared to be 60% more likely when women used SSRIs.[4]
February 9, 2006: The New England Journal of Medicine found that mothers who took SSRIs in the second half of their pregnancies were 6 times more likely to give birth to infants with a lung disorder called persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN). Between 10% and 20% of infants with PPHN will end up dying even if they receive treatment.[5]
July 2006: The FDA warned of the risk of a fatal lung condition in newborns whose mothers took SSRIs during pregnancy.[6]
October 2006: The journal Epidemiology, reported that babies born to women who took SSRI's during the second or third month of pregnancy had nearly 2 times the risk of having congenital malformations, with the most common being cardiovascular in 29%, muscle and bone malformations in 31% and 14% had digestive malformations.
May 2007: A study published in the Journal of The American Medical Association reported that of 117 pregnancies where the mother took Prozac during the first trimester, the risk of miscarriage was 14.8% compared to 7.8% in mothers not exposed to Prozac or tricyclic antidepressants.[7]
The U.S. government should not be funding research and treatment of expectant mothers that will result in spontaneous abortion or birth defects to their young!
STUDIES AND DRUG REGULATORY AGENCY WARNINGS AGAINST PSYCHIATRIC DRUG USE DURING PREGNANCY
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Any legislation that provides for further funding of research into “post partum depression” opens the door to creating an even greater risk to pregnant women. Such research ultimately recommends biological (drug) treatments, which never cure, but potentially damage and place newborns at risk of serious physical problems, withdrawal and even death. Dozens of studies already show that these drugs are hazardous to pregnant women and infants.
"These babies are bathed in serotonin [from Prozac-like antidepressants] during a key period of their development and we really don't know what it's doing to them or what the long-term effects might be. It could be that they go ‘cold turkey' when they are born or the serotonin could be having an effect on their brains, or it could be a bit of both."
Philip Zeskind, a professor of pediatrics,
The American Journal of Pediatrics 2004
BIRTH DEFECTS AND OTHER ADVERSE EFFECTS SUFFERED BY INFANTS WHOSE MOTHERS WERE PRESCRIBED ANTIDEPRESSANTS DURING PREGNANCY
Abnormal crying
Agitation
Bluish skin color from lack of oxygen
Breathing problems
Congenital anomaly (abnormality)
Convulsions
Feeding difficulties
Heart defects
Low birth rate
Jitteriness
Lethargy
Miscarriage
Neurological problems (symptoms include irritability, constant crying, convulsions)
Omphalocele (abnormality in which the infant's intestine or other abdominal organs protrude from the navel)
Premature birth
Rapid breathing
Respiratory difficulties
Restlessness
Rigidity
Seizures
Small intestine defects
Spontaneous abortions
Suction problems
Tremors
Withdrawal effects, including convulsions, agitation (symptoms could begin on the first day after birth and persist for 10 days even though levels of the antidepressant were undetectable on day 6)
These adverse reactions were reported in: Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, New England Journal of Medicine, World Health Organization, Epidemiology, The Archives of General Psychiatry, Harvard, The American Journal of Pediatrics, Science, American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Journal of The American Medical Association, the FDA, Australian Therapeutics Goods Association.
According to one of the world's leading experts on SSRI (Prozac-like) antidepressants, Dr David Healy, a professor at the University of Wales College of Medicine, "There is quite a movement at the moment to say all pregnant women are depressed." However, "There is no good reason to prescribe antidepressants, because only 1 out of 10 people are likely to respond to the drugs rather than to attention and support." "So in essence," he notes, "nine out of 10 pregnant women will be subject to the risks of the SSRIs….”
Experts critical of antidepressant use during pregnancy all agree that in the absence of any proven effectiveness of treatment with SSRIs, potential harm to the fetus cannot be justified.
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
WHY H.R. 20/S. 1375, THE “MOTHER’S ACT” IS OPEN TO ABUSE
The “Mother’s Act” (H.R. 20/S.1375) has a reported purpose to ensure that new mothers and their families are educated about postpartum depression, screened for symptoms, and provided with essential services, and to increase research at the National Institutes of Health on postpartum depression. There are numerous problems with this bill:
Despite the fact that the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has already spent nearly $19 million during the last 10 years on postpartum depression, with no effective treatments found, the Mother’s Act calls for an unspecified amount of money over the next two years for even more research.
The bill does not acknowledge that there is diverse medical opinion about “postpartum depression” and whether it exists as a mental disability or as a physical condition that can be treated by normal medical or alternative means, already available.
Of great concern, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine lists no research grants for postpartum depression on its website for the last 3 years, and the bill provides no indication that alternatives that would be safer to both mother and child are available.
The only treatment for put forth in the bill for women either during pregnancy or after childbirth is biological agents (antidepressants or other psychotropic drugs), when naturopaths, chiropractors and others in the alternative health field confirm there are natural ways of treating so-called post partum depression.
The bill fails to address the fact that studies show that antidepressants prescribed to pregnant women can cause miscarriage, premature birth, and in babies born to pregnant women taking these drugs, congenital heart birth defects, life-threatening lung disease, neurological symptoms, and withdrawal symptoms.
This treatment modality forwarded by the bill could lead to thousands of lawsuits, as hundreds have already been filed concerning the effects of antidepressant use during pregnancy. Children have been born with club foot, cleft pallet, and some have required several surgeries to correct the condition alleged to have been caused by psychiatric drug use during pregnancy.
Mental health screening, whether for postpartum depression or otherwise, is not the same as medical testing that show a tangible result. Rather it relies upon subjective questionnaires that are then evaluated based solely on opinion.
This bill makes no provision to protect women from this, to protect the fetus and infants from harmful psychotropic drugs most commonly prescribed for “post partum depression” and opens the door to massive increases in healthcare costs arising from treatment of iatrogenic-caused conditions through drug prescriptions.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
SAMPLE STUDIES SHOWING PSYCHOTROPIC DRUG USE DURING PREGNANCY IS DANGEROUS, PLACING THE FETUS, MOTHER AND INFANTS AT RISK
May 1993: A study published in the Journal of The American Medical Association reported that of 117 pregnancies where the mother took Prozac during the first trimester, the risk of miscarriage was 14.8% compared to 7.8% in mothers not exposed to Prozac or other antidepressants.[1]
August 1993: Between 1988 and August 1993, the FDA Adverse Drug Reaction reports for listed incidents of 17 babies being born with a congenital anomaly to mothers who had taken Prozac prior to or during pregnancy.[2]
November 1993: Eli Lilly, manufacturer of Prozac, admitted that the risk of spontaneous abortion in women taking Prozac was as high as 15.9% and 3.4% perinatal (around the birth) malformations.[3]
1996: The New England Journal of Medicine reported a study that showed higher rates of premature delivery, low birth weight, admissions to intensive care units, including respiratory and feeding difficulties, and jitteriness, in children born to women who took Prozac during pregnancy. [4]
March 2003: A Harvard study showed that infants exposed in the womb to valproate (Depakote, Depakene or Epivil) prescribed for mood disorders, had twice as many birth defects as previously thought—8.8% had serious abnormalities compared to previously reported rate of 4%.[5]
July 2003: A Finnish study published in The Archives of General Psychiatry found that infants whose mothers took antidepressants during pregnancy could suffer neurological problems during their first week of life. The symptoms included tremors, restlessness and rigidity. Previous studies had shown that pregnant women taking SSRIs during the third trimester of pregnancy could experience neurological symptoms such as irritability, constant crying, convulsions and eating and sleeping disorders.[6]
August 2003: The Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration reported that the use of SSRIs during or after pregnancy could result in newborn babies experiencing withdrawal effects and could also experience a toxic effect from ingestion of an SSRI in breast-milk. withdrawal effects the baby experienced included agitation, jitteriness, poor feeding, sleepiness/lethargy, gastrointestinal symptoms and hypotania (deficient tone or tension).[7]
2004: The FDA revised SSRI labels to warn that some infants had developed problems requiring prolonged hospitalization, respiratory support, and tube feeding. [8]
February 2004: The American Journal of Pediatrics found direct evidence of a link between fetal exposure to SSRIs and disrupted neurological development. "Researchers linked abnormal sleeping patterns, heart rhythms and levels of alertness” to SSRIs.[9]
June 2004: A study published in Prescrire International found that newborns exposed to SSRIs toward the end of pregnancy showed signs of agitation, altered muscle tone, and breathing and suction problems, with an estimated 20% to 30% of the infants in the study affected. [10]
June 2004: The FDA also recorded 19 adverse events in pregnant women who took Effexor, an antidepressant closely related to SSRIs, including seizures, jitteriness, and jaundice. [11]
July 2004: The adverse event reports prompted the FDA to change the labeling for all SSRIs, warning that newborns exposed to SSRIs have developed problems requiring prolonged hospitalizations, respiratory support, and tube feeding. [12]
October 2004: Researchers from Columbia University published a study in the journal, Science, suggesting that exposure to Prozac in the womb and in early childhood may permanently alter the brain's circuitry and disrupt neural development, leading to serious emotional disorders later in life. [13]
2005: Researchers in France published a paper suggesting that serotonin exerts an impact on developmental processes of the embryo much earlier than previously believed. According to psychiatrist, Dr Grace Jackson, author of Rethinking Psychiatric Drugs: A Guide for Informed Consent, prescribing SSRIs as a preventative measure during pregnancy is a terrible idea. The major reason why preventive use is so dangerous, she says, is the research suggesting that the SSRIs exert a direct effect upon the early embryo.[14]
February 2005: Researchers from the University of La Laguna in Spain reported the use of antidepressants was associated with newborn withdrawal syndrome, in the British medical journal, Lancet—symptoms include convulsions, irritability, abnormal crying and tremor. [15]
September 2005: The Journal of Psychopharmacology published a study in which researchers discussed whether the symptoms found with infants at birth represented Paxil (paroxetine) toxicity or a withdrawal syndrome. The infant's symptoms began on the first day after birth and persisted for 10 days even though levels of paroxetine were undetectable on day 6. [16]
September 2005: GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) advised health care professionals of a Paxil label change that, according to data obtained from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study of infants, women who took an SSRIs were more likely to have an infant with omphalocele (abnormality in which the infant's intestine or other abdominal organs protrude from the navel). The study above also found an association of exposure to SSRIs and giving birth to an infant with craniosynostosis (a congenital defect-present at birth. The connections between sutures-skull bones prematurely close during the first year of life, which causes an abnormally shaped skull.) [17]
September 2005: Studies conducted by Danish and U.S. researchers determined that the use of SSRIs in the first three months of pregnancy was linked to a 40% increased risk of birth defects such as cleft palate and cardiac defects appeared to be 60% more likely when women used SSRIs.[18]
September 2005: The Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration warned health professionals warning that SSRI use—especially Paxil—in early pregnancy could cause congenital heart abnormalities in newborns.[19]
September 2005: The FDA and GSK issued a warning that pregnant women taking Paxil or other antidepressants during their first trimester of pregnancy experienced an increased risk of major congenital (birth defect) and cardiovascular malformations at birth; also premature births in pregnant women exposed to SSRIs.[20]
February 2006: An analysis of World Health Organization medical records found that infants whose mothers took antidepressants while pregnant may suffer withdrawal effects. A study conducted by researchers at the University of British Columbia and published in the British Lancet. [21] Researchers determined that about one out of three newborns exposed to SSRIs in the womb showed signs of neonatal (newborn) drug withdrawal. About 30% exhibited signs of withdrawal in the hours after birth. None of the infants who were not exposed to SSRIs had symptoms. [22]
February 2006: The Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine reported that nearly one-third of newborn infants whose mothers took SSRI antidepressants during pregnancy experienced withdrawal symptoms. Previous studies had identified other symptoms such as rapid breathing, bluish skin color from lack of oxygen, feeding difficulties, low blood sugar and jitteriness.[23]
February 9, 2006: The New England Journal of Medicine found that mothers who took SSRIs in the second half of their pregnancies were 6 times more likely to give birth to infants with a lung disorder called persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN). The condition occurs when a newborn's circulation system does not adapt to breathing outside the womb and causes high pressure in the blood vessels of the lungs making them unable to get enough oxygen into their bloodstream and can be fatal. Between 10% and 20% of infants with PPHN will end up dying even if they receive treatment.[24]
February 2006: In a related study involving 73 infants who were exposed to an SSRI right up until delivery, and 101 infants who were only exposed during the first trimester of pregnancy, researchers found that babies exposed throughout the entire pregnancy had significantly increased complications like hypotonia [having less than normal muscular tone or tension], respiratory problems and jitteriness compared to the other infants. [25]
March 2006: Health Canada issued a warning that SSRIs and other newer antidepressants when taken by pregnant women placed newborns at risk of developing a rare lung and heart condition.[26]
April 2006: American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology reported that taking SSRIs doubled the mother's risk of delivering a stillborn infant and increased the risk of premature delivery, underweight babies, and seizures. [27]
April 7, 2006: A Canadian study from the University of Ottawa, found those who used SSRIs were more likely to have premature and low birth weight babies. Almost 20% of women who used SSRIs gave birth prematurely, compared to 12% of mothers who did not use the drugs. Infants born to women using SSRIs were also found to be more likely to have seizures. [28]
July 2006: The FDA warned of the risk of a fatal lung condition in newborns whose mothers took SSRIs during pregnancy.[29]
November 2006: The journal Epidemiology published by researchers from Aarhus University in Denmark who found that pregnant women who take the newer type of antidepressants are more likely to have babies with birth defects than mothers who don’t take these drugs.[30]
December 29: A new Canadian study published in Birth Defects Research Part B: Developmental and Reproductive Toxicology, examined in greater detail the association between first trimester exposure to paroxetine (Paxil and Paxil CR) and the occurrence of major congenital malformation, especially major cardiac malformations. Paroxetine was significantly associated with a “two-fold increase in the risk of major congenital anomalies, and more specifically with a three-fold increase in the risk of major cardiac anomalies.”[31]
May 8, 2007: The German Drug Regulatory Agency (BfArM) warned of increased risk of cardiac malformation in newborns when the mother took Paxil during pregnancy.
May 2007: A study published in the Journal of The American Medical Association reported that of 117 pregnancies where the mother took Prozac during the first trimester, the risk of miscarriage was 14.8% compared to 7.8% in mothers not exposed to fluoxetine or tricyclic antidepressants.[32]
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Objection to the Proposed MOTHERS Act - Bill
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
UNITE / CHAADA / ICFDA / COPES Foundation
Objection to the Proposed MOTHERS Act - Bill
before Senate Puts Young Children and
Mothers in Serious Danger
February 11, 2008
Contacts:
Amy Philo, mailto:amy@uniteforlife.org
214-705-0169 home, 817-793-8028 cell
"www.chaada.org" "www.uniteforlife.org"
Dr. Ann Blake Tracy, Executive Director of the ICFDA
"www.drugawareness.org"
mailto:atracyphd1@aol.com, 800-280-0730 direct
Camille Milke mailto:sarinasvoice@aol.com/
505-269-2286 direct or 505-213-0999 fax (USA numbers)
"www.copesfoundation.com","www.drugawareness.org"
To the HELP Committee of the United States Senate:
For years, the March of Dimes has warned not to use meds while pregnant. Why now encourage mothers to take drugs?
Please register this extreme objection to the proposed MOTHERS Act (S. 1375) which is now before you in committee. It is my earnest hope that you will immediately defeat this bill in committee. The bill has been brought to you under the guise of ensuring safety or support for new mothers- however, nothing could be further from the truth.
The bill was originally proposed in response to the death by suicide of Melanie Stokes, a pharmaceutical rep. who took her own life by leaping from a balcony several stories off of the ground. Contrary to popular understanding it was not post-partum depression that killed Melanie, but the numerous antidepressant drugs she was taking, which the FDA confirmed doubles the suicide risk.
Nobody is suggesting that new moms do not ever experience mood swings, depression, or even psychotic episodes. The more important issue is what the effect of this bill will be and why nobody is addressing potential methods of prevention. Everyone knows how many young moms experience gestational diabetes, but who is addressing the even higher rate of gestational hypoglycemia, which often initially manifests as depression? This is a physical condition that is treated with diet and is exacerbated by antidepressants (which list hypoglycemia as a side effect).
To simply screen women for post-partum mood disorders and ensure that they get "treatment," we would be setting families up for the expectation of tragedy and increasing the chances of that actually happening when we refer them to medical "professionals" who are oblivious to the negative mind-altering effects of psychiatric drugs. A popular opinion among medical caregivers these days is that "post-partum mood disorders" must be a sign of an underlying biochemical imbalance and would be corrected with drugs.
Current drugs used on post-partum women include SSRIs, atypical antidepressants, and even antipsychotic drugs. These pose a significant risk to the immediate safety and health of women as well as their children and families. SSRIs carry a black box warning for suicide and the most popular one, Effexor (the same med. Andrea Yates was taking when she drowned her 5 children), has the words “homicidal ideation” listed as a side effect. Nearly every recent case of infanticide which has made news can be clearly linked back to a psychiatric drug. These drugs endanger babies and mothers.
Additionally, the drugs can be extremely addictive and also pose a risk to nurslings or babies exposed in subsequent pregnancies. Some babies have died from SIDS linked to exposure from pregnancy or nursing; others have experienced coma, seizures, GI bleeding, heart defects, lung problems, and many babies died before reaching full term or soon after birth.
The bill does not address the fact that studies show that biological agents (antidepressants for example) cited in the bill and already prescribed to pregnant women can cause congenital heart birth defects where children have had to undergo open-heart surgeries to correct this. Also, some babies are being born with organs outside their bodies, requiring immediate surgery.
In closing I want to re-emphasize the total lack of any real answer to post-partum depression posed by this bill. If we can prevent post-partum depression or support moms through it, or offer proven SAFE and EFFECTIVE natural alternatives to dangerous drugs, then we should. However we should never, ever become party to a pharmaceutical campaign to push drugs on the public. We will set ourselves up for disaster if we allow an invasion into the privacy of every family in the country and suggest to our most vulnerable citizens that they might be mentally ill.
We must do everything in our power to protect innocent children, and giving their mothers addictive drugs which pose a significant risk of causing suicide and violence does not protect anyone. It does cause the child to become addicted while still in the womb and sets up drug dependence which can be lifelong.
We still have no idea what effect most drugs have on developing brains. It might take decades for the impact on the developing brain to become apparent.
For information on the research pertaining to the risks of antidepressants and other treatments for new moms and their babies, details about the Melanie Stokes case (or you can read the letter by Dr. Ann Blake Tracy at
"http://uniteforlife.org/MOTHERSact.htm#drtracymothersact", as well as information on prevention strategies and safe, effective treatments for post-partum mood disorders, please contact us.
Sincerely,
Amy Philo
Founder, "www.uniteforlife.org"
Co-Founder, "www.chaada.org"
Camille Milke
Founder, "www.copesfoundation.com",
New Mexico State Director of the ICFDA ("www.drugawareness.org")
Mother of a victim of psychiatric drug-induced suicide and grandmother to a now motherless child
Dr. Ann Blake Tracy
Executive Director of the ICFDA
("www.drugawareness.org")
Author of Prozac: Pancaea or Pandora? Our Serotonin Nightmare
Addendum(available online: "http://www.uniteforlife.org/MOTHERpress.htm")
Prevention and Alternatives Information from UNITE ("www.uniteforlife.org"):
I. Danger of drugs
A. Inducing suicide and homicide
"http://uniteforlife.org/SSRIs%20and%20Suicide.html"
"www.drugawareness.org"
"www.ssristories.com"
"www.breggin.com"
"www.healyprozac.com"
"http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/antidepressants/default.htm"
"http://www.fda.gov/cder/warn/2007/Effexor_XRPromo.pdf"
"http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/dockets/04n0330/04N-0330-EC16.html"
"http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/04/slides/2004-4065OPH1_04_Bostock_files/frame.htm#slide0012.htm",
B. Addiction, subsequent pregnancies threatened, nurslings threatened: "http://uniteforlife.org/breastfeeding.html"
"http://uniteforlife.org/antidepressants%20in%20pregnancy%20articles.html"
"http://uniteforlife.org/developing%20brains.htm"
"http://uniteforlife.org/health%20risks%20ssris.html"
"http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/SAFETY/2005/Paxil_DHCP%20Letter_Dec%202005.pdfhttp://www.fda.gov/medwaTCH/SAFETY/2002/Zoloft_USPI_rev4.pdf"
(See pages 17-18, Pregnancy paragraph - which states that an increase in stillbirths and newborn deaths occurred from pregnancy plus nursing exposure)
Note: despite claims of minimal exposure to nurslings by some health professionals, the data on safety of nursing a baby while taking SSRIs and antipsychotics is based on an extremely small sample (nevermind that serious adverse events have been observed even in the few studies actually done). For SSRIs the studies amount to a few dozen people, many of which were also supplementally feeding formula. The Zyprexa study purported to study only 7 nursing couples and only examined 6 children's blood. See "http://uniteforlife.org/zyprexa%20objection.htm" for more information on the risks of Zyprexa.
II. Prevention of Post-Partum Mood Disorders:
A. Avoid interventions in childbirth: HOME BIRTH or midwifery or otherwise natural childbirth statistically results in LESS PPD..
Mothers Can Avoid (Specifically):
1. Labor drugs, including pitocin which interferes with normal oxytocin stimulation of uterine contractions (oxytocin is the love hormone and sets off many chemicals in the brain associated with normal maternal bonding & protective behavior)
2. IVs with glucose water during labor which can lead to complications in the newborn like perceived excessive weight loss, hypoglycemia, thus creating "mommy guilt" from feeling as if she is unable to sustain her own baby's survival due to perceived inadequate milk supply and subsequent breastfeeding difficulty when baby is inevitably given supplemental feedings
3. Avoid epidural which can cause breastfeeding difficulties in the newborn and may be associated with mood problems (the anesthesia fentanyl in the epidural is derived from cocaine)
4. Avoid episiotomy which can lead to excessive blood loss and fatigue as well as significant pain leading to use of pain medications
5. Avoid restrictive dieting before / after childbirth which can cause preterm labor (not having enough calories and protein leads to low albumin and high blood pressure), low blood sugar and lack of energy
6. Avoid epinephrine, which is often necessary in labor because of fetal distress or maternal distress (trouble breathing, low blood pressure) which are side effects in both mom and baby from pitocin or other augmentation as well as epidurals. Epinephrine is synthetic adrenaline and has been linked to mental disturbances.
B. Post-partum period:
1. FOR MANY WEEKS MOMS WILL NEED: someone to help with meals, chores, child care, etc. Without that, women ARE FAR MORE LIKELY to feel symptoms of depression, anxiety, etc.
2. MOMS WILL NEED someone to help with breastfeeding if they are inexperienced or have problems. They can contact a La Leche League Leader or an IBCLC. Loss of breastfeeding is sometimes associated with PPD due to additional hormonal changes in moms, while breastfeeding itself is thought to ease PPD due to numerous factors.
3. MOMS (and families) WILL FEEL BETTER if they cosleep because they will be well-rested and breastfeeding will be easier. For safety tips on cosleeping moms can use common sense or write to mailto:amy@uniteforlife.org for more info. Contrary to campaigns by the Crib Manufacturers SIDS is actually more common in cribs.
III. Alternatives to Drugs:
1. Screen for underlying medical conditions such as Thyroid disorders, anemia, etc. and treat those as safely as is possible. Thyroid disorders such as hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism (or both - postpartum thyroiditis) are quite common and can cause depression or anxiety.
2. Omega 3 Supplements (From Fish Oil, Flaxseed, etc.)
3. Exercise (although initially excessive exercise will not help a woman, after childbirth it is necessary to rest in order to recover, and not lose too much blood) "http://uniteforlife.org/exercise.html" Medication shown to cause relapse, exercise MORE effective than antidepressant drugs
4. Some people feel that counseling is effective
5. Some people find alternative treatments effective, for example: chiropractic, homeopathy (even for PSYCHOSIS), accupuncture, energy work, etc.
6. MOMS can FIND A SUPPORT GROUP or helpful PERSON but NOT one that will push them to use drugs.
IV. Alternative Ways to Support American Families:
If the government really wants to help moms, why not educate on these common sense strategies, push for better maternity leave allowances, improve obstetric cooperation with midwifery, or promote paternity leave or leave for grandparents who can help new mothers during their time of need?
V. The Bill Violates Basic American Principles and Rights:
Mothers want time in PEACE and PRIVACY to be with their new babies to bond. They DO NOT need to be dragged off to an invasive and dangerous screening for mental problems. The power of suggestion alone is enough to scare a significant amount of moms and this invasion of privacy goes far beyond anything EVER imposed on the U.S. Public.
Furthermore, similar programs like Teen Screen have been a total failure with an 84% or higher misdiagnosis rate. The vast majority of these misdiagnosed students were referred to mental health practitioners and put on drugs.
There is no language in the bill that protects thousands of mothers being erroneously screened and drugged with antidepressants that medical studies show cause birth defects and withdrawal symptoms, devastating families and driving up health care costs to treat these iatrogenic-caused conditions.
The bill seeks more appropriations to the National Institutes of Health to research postpartum depression but doesn't specify how the funds are to be used. For example, during the past 3 years, NIMH has already spent more than $10 million on 38 studies of PPD, yet the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine lists no grants on its website for such research.
There is no language about the diverse medical opinion and studies about "post partum depression" and whether it exists as a mental disability or as a physical condition that can be treated by normal medical or alternative means.
While the bill promotes more research into the condition, it doesn't provide safeguards about this research and the effects of biological agents on the fetus--with studies suggesting that antidepressants may exert an impact on developmental processes of the embryo, and cause higher rates of premature delivery, low birth weight, admissions to intensive care units, and poor neonatal adaptation, including respiratory and feeding difficulties in infants.
The way in which the bill is currently worded could lead to thousands of suits as hundreds have already been filed concerning antidepressant use during pregnancy that has resulted in infants being born with a life-threatening lung disorder, PPHN and that between 10% and 20% of infants born with PPHN end up dying, even when they receive treatment.
UNITE / CHAADA / ICFDA / COPES Foundation
Objection to the Proposed MOTHERS Act - Bill
before Senate Puts Young Children and
Mothers in Serious Danger
February 11, 2008
Contacts:
Amy Philo, mailto:amy@uniteforlife.org
214-705-0169 home, 817-793-8028 cell
"www.chaada.org" "www.uniteforlife.org"
Dr. Ann Blake Tracy, Executive Director of the ICFDA
"www.drugawareness.org"
mailto:atracyphd1@aol.com, 800-280-0730 direct
Camille Milke mailto:sarinasvoice@aol.com/
505-269-2286 direct or 505-213-0999 fax (USA numbers)
"www.copesfoundation.com","www.drugawareness.org"
To the HELP Committee of the United States Senate:
For years, the March of Dimes has warned not to use meds while pregnant. Why now encourage mothers to take drugs?
Please register this extreme objection to the proposed MOTHERS Act (S. 1375) which is now before you in committee. It is my earnest hope that you will immediately defeat this bill in committee. The bill has been brought to you under the guise of ensuring safety or support for new mothers- however, nothing could be further from the truth.
The bill was originally proposed in response to the death by suicide of Melanie Stokes, a pharmaceutical rep. who took her own life by leaping from a balcony several stories off of the ground. Contrary to popular understanding it was not post-partum depression that killed Melanie, but the numerous antidepressant drugs she was taking, which the FDA confirmed doubles the suicide risk.
Nobody is suggesting that new moms do not ever experience mood swings, depression, or even psychotic episodes. The more important issue is what the effect of this bill will be and why nobody is addressing potential methods of prevention. Everyone knows how many young moms experience gestational diabetes, but who is addressing the even higher rate of gestational hypoglycemia, which often initially manifests as depression? This is a physical condition that is treated with diet and is exacerbated by antidepressants (which list hypoglycemia as a side effect).
To simply screen women for post-partum mood disorders and ensure that they get "treatment," we would be setting families up for the expectation of tragedy and increasing the chances of that actually happening when we refer them to medical "professionals" who are oblivious to the negative mind-altering effects of psychiatric drugs. A popular opinion among medical caregivers these days is that "post-partum mood disorders" must be a sign of an underlying biochemical imbalance and would be corrected with drugs.
Current drugs used on post-partum women include SSRIs, atypical antidepressants, and even antipsychotic drugs. These pose a significant risk to the immediate safety and health of women as well as their children and families. SSRIs carry a black box warning for suicide and the most popular one, Effexor (the same med. Andrea Yates was taking when she drowned her 5 children), has the words “homicidal ideation” listed as a side effect. Nearly every recent case of infanticide which has made news can be clearly linked back to a psychiatric drug. These drugs endanger babies and mothers.
Additionally, the drugs can be extremely addictive and also pose a risk to nurslings or babies exposed in subsequent pregnancies. Some babies have died from SIDS linked to exposure from pregnancy or nursing; others have experienced coma, seizures, GI bleeding, heart defects, lung problems, and many babies died before reaching full term or soon after birth.
The bill does not address the fact that studies show that biological agents (antidepressants for example) cited in the bill and already prescribed to pregnant women can cause congenital heart birth defects where children have had to undergo open-heart surgeries to correct this. Also, some babies are being born with organs outside their bodies, requiring immediate surgery.
In closing I want to re-emphasize the total lack of any real answer to post-partum depression posed by this bill. If we can prevent post-partum depression or support moms through it, or offer proven SAFE and EFFECTIVE natural alternatives to dangerous drugs, then we should. However we should never, ever become party to a pharmaceutical campaign to push drugs on the public. We will set ourselves up for disaster if we allow an invasion into the privacy of every family in the country and suggest to our most vulnerable citizens that they might be mentally ill.
We must do everything in our power to protect innocent children, and giving their mothers addictive drugs which pose a significant risk of causing suicide and violence does not protect anyone. It does cause the child to become addicted while still in the womb and sets up drug dependence which can be lifelong.
We still have no idea what effect most drugs have on developing brains. It might take decades for the impact on the developing brain to become apparent.
For information on the research pertaining to the risks of antidepressants and other treatments for new moms and their babies, details about the Melanie Stokes case (or you can read the letter by Dr. Ann Blake Tracy at
"http://uniteforlife.org/MOTHERSact.htm#drtracymothersact", as well as information on prevention strategies and safe, effective treatments for post-partum mood disorders, please contact us.
Sincerely,
Amy Philo
Founder, "www.uniteforlife.org"
Co-Founder, "www.chaada.org"
Camille Milke
Founder, "www.copesfoundation.com",
New Mexico State Director of the ICFDA ("www.drugawareness.org")
Mother of a victim of psychiatric drug-induced suicide and grandmother to a now motherless child
Dr. Ann Blake Tracy
Executive Director of the ICFDA
("www.drugawareness.org")
Author of Prozac: Pancaea or Pandora? Our Serotonin Nightmare
Addendum(available online: "http://www.uniteforlife.org/MOTHERpress.htm")
Prevention and Alternatives Information from UNITE ("www.uniteforlife.org"):
I. Danger of drugs
A. Inducing suicide and homicide
"http://uniteforlife.org/SSRIs%20and%20Suicide.html"
"www.drugawareness.org"
"www.ssristories.com"
"www.breggin.com"
"www.healyprozac.com"
"http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/antidepressants/default.htm"
"http://www.fda.gov/cder/warn/2007/Effexor_XRPromo.pdf"
"http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/dockets/04n0330/04N-0330-EC16.html"
"http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/04/slides/2004-4065OPH1_04_Bostock_files/frame.htm#slide0012.htm",
B. Addiction, subsequent pregnancies threatened, nurslings threatened: "http://uniteforlife.org/breastfeeding.html"
"http://uniteforlife.org/antidepressants%20in%20pregnancy%20articles.html"
"http://uniteforlife.org/developing%20brains.htm"
"http://uniteforlife.org/health%20risks%20ssris.html"
"http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/SAFETY/2005/Paxil_DHCP%20Letter_Dec%202005.pdfhttp://www.fda.gov/medwaTCH/SAFETY/2002/Zoloft_USPI_rev4.pdf"
(See pages 17-18, Pregnancy paragraph - which states that an increase in stillbirths and newborn deaths occurred from pregnancy plus nursing exposure)
Note: despite claims of minimal exposure to nurslings by some health professionals, the data on safety of nursing a baby while taking SSRIs and antipsychotics is based on an extremely small sample (nevermind that serious adverse events have been observed even in the few studies actually done). For SSRIs the studies amount to a few dozen people, many of which were also supplementally feeding formula. The Zyprexa study purported to study only 7 nursing couples and only examined 6 children's blood. See "http://uniteforlife.org/zyprexa%20objection.htm" for more information on the risks of Zyprexa.
II. Prevention of Post-Partum Mood Disorders:
A. Avoid interventions in childbirth: HOME BIRTH or midwifery or otherwise natural childbirth statistically results in LESS PPD..
Mothers Can Avoid (Specifically):
1. Labor drugs, including pitocin which interferes with normal oxytocin stimulation of uterine contractions (oxytocin is the love hormone and sets off many chemicals in the brain associated with normal maternal bonding & protective behavior)
2. IVs with glucose water during labor which can lead to complications in the newborn like perceived excessive weight loss, hypoglycemia, thus creating "mommy guilt" from feeling as if she is unable to sustain her own baby's survival due to perceived inadequate milk supply and subsequent breastfeeding difficulty when baby is inevitably given supplemental feedings
3. Avoid epidural which can cause breastfeeding difficulties in the newborn and may be associated with mood problems (the anesthesia fentanyl in the epidural is derived from cocaine)
4. Avoid episiotomy which can lead to excessive blood loss and fatigue as well as significant pain leading to use of pain medications
5. Avoid restrictive dieting before / after childbirth which can cause preterm labor (not having enough calories and protein leads to low albumin and high blood pressure), low blood sugar and lack of energy
6. Avoid epinephrine, which is often necessary in labor because of fetal distress or maternal distress (trouble breathing, low blood pressure) which are side effects in both mom and baby from pitocin or other augmentation as well as epidurals. Epinephrine is synthetic adrenaline and has been linked to mental disturbances.
B. Post-partum period:
1. FOR MANY WEEKS MOMS WILL NEED: someone to help with meals, chores, child care, etc. Without that, women ARE FAR MORE LIKELY to feel symptoms of depression, anxiety, etc.
2. MOMS WILL NEED someone to help with breastfeeding if they are inexperienced or have problems. They can contact a La Leche League Leader or an IBCLC. Loss of breastfeeding is sometimes associated with PPD due to additional hormonal changes in moms, while breastfeeding itself is thought to ease PPD due to numerous factors.
3. MOMS (and families) WILL FEEL BETTER if they cosleep because they will be well-rested and breastfeeding will be easier. For safety tips on cosleeping moms can use common sense or write to mailto:amy@uniteforlife.org for more info. Contrary to campaigns by the Crib Manufacturers SIDS is actually more common in cribs.
III. Alternatives to Drugs:
1. Screen for underlying medical conditions such as Thyroid disorders, anemia, etc. and treat those as safely as is possible. Thyroid disorders such as hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism (or both - postpartum thyroiditis) are quite common and can cause depression or anxiety.
2. Omega 3 Supplements (From Fish Oil, Flaxseed, etc.)
3. Exercise (although initially excessive exercise will not help a woman, after childbirth it is necessary to rest in order to recover, and not lose too much blood) "http://uniteforlife.org/exercise.html" Medication shown to cause relapse, exercise MORE effective than antidepressant drugs
4. Some people feel that counseling is effective
5. Some people find alternative treatments effective, for example: chiropractic, homeopathy (even for PSYCHOSIS), accupuncture, energy work, etc.
6. MOMS can FIND A SUPPORT GROUP or helpful PERSON but NOT one that will push them to use drugs.
IV. Alternative Ways to Support American Families:
If the government really wants to help moms, why not educate on these common sense strategies, push for better maternity leave allowances, improve obstetric cooperation with midwifery, or promote paternity leave or leave for grandparents who can help new mothers during their time of need?
V. The Bill Violates Basic American Principles and Rights:
Mothers want time in PEACE and PRIVACY to be with their new babies to bond. They DO NOT need to be dragged off to an invasive and dangerous screening for mental problems. The power of suggestion alone is enough to scare a significant amount of moms and this invasion of privacy goes far beyond anything EVER imposed on the U.S. Public.
Furthermore, similar programs like Teen Screen have been a total failure with an 84% or higher misdiagnosis rate. The vast majority of these misdiagnosed students were referred to mental health practitioners and put on drugs.
There is no language in the bill that protects thousands of mothers being erroneously screened and drugged with antidepressants that medical studies show cause birth defects and withdrawal symptoms, devastating families and driving up health care costs to treat these iatrogenic-caused conditions.
The bill seeks more appropriations to the National Institutes of Health to research postpartum depression but doesn't specify how the funds are to be used. For example, during the past 3 years, NIMH has already spent more than $10 million on 38 studies of PPD, yet the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine lists no grants on its website for such research.
There is no language about the diverse medical opinion and studies about "post partum depression" and whether it exists as a mental disability or as a physical condition that can be treated by normal medical or alternative means.
While the bill promotes more research into the condition, it doesn't provide safeguards about this research and the effects of biological agents on the fetus--with studies suggesting that antidepressants may exert an impact on developmental processes of the embryo, and cause higher rates of premature delivery, low birth weight, admissions to intensive care units, and poor neonatal adaptation, including respiratory and feeding difficulties in infants.
The way in which the bill is currently worded could lead to thousands of suits as hundreds have already been filed concerning antidepressant use during pregnancy that has resulted in infants being born with a life-threatening lung disorder, PPHN and that between 10% and 20% of infants born with PPHN end up dying, even when they receive treatment.
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