In today’s world of over-specialized and drug-infused medicine, doctors hand out pills for everything, often prescribing drugs without regard to side effects on patients’ general health. Dentists use mercury, which may preserve teeth but is highly toxic to the rest of the body. Gynecologists and obstetricians once carefully discouraged any drug use in pregnant women. Now they seem to have jumped on the manage-with-meds bandwagon, prescribing antidepressants without due regard to their effect on the fetus. Recent research, however, has uncovered the heart risks of psychiatric drugs for newborns.
The recently completed ten-year Scandinavian study of over a million and a half births found a doubled risk of pulmonary hypertension in babies born of mothers using antidepressants. Pulmonary hypertension is a condition where the baby struggles to get enough oxygen into the lungs. It is potentially fatal; and though usually treatable, can result in a life-long condition. Apparently gynecologists and obstetricians sometimes treat their patients as isolated individuals, rather than mothers-to-be. The same mistake was made in the past, when Thalidomide was used to treat morning sickness. The result was tragic deformities in newborn babies; and the medical community learned a lesson — at least for a while. But it is happening again with dangerous medications liberally prescribed to treat psychiatric symptoms of pregnant women without regard to the future health of the baby.
In addition to the increased risk of pulmonary hypertension in newborns, antidepressant use has been linked to premature births, cranial defects causing abnormal head shapes, abdominal defects where internal organs protrude outside the abdominal sac, as well as a doubled risk of autism. Antidepressant use during pregnancy was found to double the risk of premature births as well, and endanger the baby to withdrawal symptoms; since drugs taken during pregnancy cross the placental barrier into the fetal bloodstream. Generally, mothers using antidepressants have babies who are less healthy, including lowered energy levels, responsiveness, breathing capacity, and skin color.
Though gynecologists and obstetricians may justifiably worry about depression in pregnant women, their automatic response should not be to prescribe the antidepressants carrying severe risks to newborns. There are many scientific factors contributing to mood and sometimes depression during pregnancy. These factors include the increased demand of building an additional new body, hormonal changes attendant during pregnancy, an increased need for micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) and macronutrients (quality protein, carbs and healthy fats). Pregnant women have also frequently been found to have low thyroid, also linked with depression. Iodine supplementation to support the thyroid has improved this condition, without the heart risks of psychiatric drugs.
General practitioners, as well as specialists like obstetricians, have been sold on psychiatric drugs as being miraculous, safe and necessary for mental health. However, recent government and media investigations into these claims have exposed the truth: they are based on slanted and falsified results of drug “studies” funded by biased pharmaceutical manufacturers. Positive findings were exaggerated or misrepresented, while negative findings went unpublished. It turns out that these top-selling psychiatric drugs are far from miraculous, and not at all safe. They can worsen mental health rather than cure it, with side effects including psychosis, violence and suicide. General health hazards include diabetes, neuromuscular degeneration as well as the discovered heart risks of psychiatric drugs.
There are heart risks to children as well, being routinely given drugs such as Ritalin to behave better in school. These drugs are stimulants which, similar to cocaine, overwork the heart. The heart (muscles) become dangerously enlarged, sometimes greater than those of a full-grown man. Often administered from early childhood, long term use of such drugs has caused death. This is the devastating cost of treating “ADHD” (short attention spans and active energy levels previously recognized as normal in childhood) with psychiatric drugs. Though many natural factors can be addressed to improve children’s health and behavior, expensive, dangerous drugs are instead being pushed by pharmaceutical companies, and now by teachers and doctors. Research has linked “ADHD” behaviors with high sugar intake, vitamin deficiencies, poor diet, and environmental toxins such as pesticides. Addressing these factors, as well as making lifestyle changes such as limiting TV and video games, improve behavior. Unbelievably, millions of school children are nevertheless medicated daily, while lip service is given to the motto, “Say No To Drugs”.
The heart risks of psychiatric drugs do not stop at school children, mothers-to-be, or newborns. A doubled risk of sudden cardiac death in women with no prior heart conditions, was found in those taking antidepressants. Such risks can be avoided with searching physical exams. One institution performed physicals on incoming patients, and found that when underlying health problems were addressed, psychiatric symptoms subsided in almost all cases. As mentioned earlier, one example is a hypothyroid condition (low functioning of the thyroid gland) with symptoms such as low energy level, chronic depression, and suicidal thoughts. Some doctors test for this condition; and one found underactive thyroid gland operation to be the cause of 50 percent of depression cases. All this tells us that a clear-minded, drug-free approach to the treatment of mental health can be effective, and that the health and heart risks of psychiatric drugs can most definitely be avoided.
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Antidepressants During Pregnancy Cause Premature Birth
