In Memory of Indiana (Effexor Baby)

I recently got in touch with a woman who signed the petition against The MOTHERS Act after reading the comment that she had lost her 6 week old daughter and believes it was Effexor that caused her death. Luckily I was able to find her on Facebook because Care2 doesn’t give me the emails of the people who sign the petition unless I have to verify their identity.

I am working on a story and video about this, but I just can’t finish it today, and I can’t sit here and not scream at the top of my lungs to the world about this little baby.

Christian Delahunty is Indiana’s mom and she was told by her doctor that Effexor doesn’t even pass to the baby during pregnancy or breastfeeding. However when she was induced one month before her due date because of problems with the pregnancy, Christian’s OB called down to the NICU to tell them to be ready because an Effexor baby would be coming.

This is Indiana.

Bath time

With Mommy

sweet baby

Sleeping with a butterfly on her head

Indiana in a tie dye dress

Indiana with Dad

Indiana's Funeral

Indiana was found not breathing and rushed to the hospital. She was revived and put on life support, but her brain was deteriorating and it was too late for her.

Drug company studies and FDA reports confirm that SIDS, coma, seizures, stillbirth, birth defects, miscarriage (“spontaneous abortion”), and an increase in neonatal deaths are linked to exposure to antidepressants. All you have to do is look at the drug label for Effexor and see the animal studies to understand the effects on babies.

“[T]here was a decrease in pup weight, an increase in stillborn pups, and an increase in pup deaths during the first 5 days of lactation, when dosing began during pregnancy and continued until weaning. The cause of these deaths is not known.”

c.

See also (a warning about often fatal serotonin syndrome – serotonin being the brain chemical researchers think is involved in SIDS due to its role in regulating breathing and sleep and wake cycles. Serotonin Syndrome is what most likely killed Heath Ledger and we know that these drugs can kill adults and children, and are especially hard on babies who have a hard time metabolizing the drugs and who have immature blood-brain barriers): http://www.fda.gov/CDER/drug/infopage/effexor/default.htm

And http://anxiety.emedtv.com/effexor-xr/effexor-xr-and-pregnancy.html

Also, here is a website where you can look through all the MedWatch Reports for a four year period of 2003-2007 (select Effexor and you find 6 reports of SIDS among the other infant deaths and other reports): http://www.psychdrugdangers.com/MothersAct.html

We know that these reports represent the tip of the iceberg, with the FDA estimating that between 1-10% of actual adverse events being reported.

I can’t imagine how hard this must be for Christian and her family but I am so glad that she reached out and wants to tell Indi’s story. I was telling my husband today how lucky I felt that our kids are safe and healthy. My doctor told me it was safe to breastfeed Isaac on Zoloft and that I could stay on it during pregnancy. There were times when it seemed like Isaac had stopped breathing and I would nudge him to make him start up again. Like many moms out there at the time I thought I didn’t know better than my doctor and that I could trust him.

Please take this as a warning of what could happen if you use antidepressants when you’re pregnant and breastfeeding. Christian says that Indiana was in and out of the hospital after she was born so obviously this was more than just a random case of SIDS. This is just one example of a mom who went on antidepressants after the birth of a previous child for PPD and the loss of a loved one (her mom) and then stayed on them at the recommendation of her doctor. How many others out there are like her?

I know this deserves more time and a much better write-up, but I feel like I can’t keep this off the blog even though Indi’s story is much bigger than just this post. Here’s hoping that this will somehow reach someone else in time to save their baby. I know that is all Christian can hope for and will help Indiana’s purpose to be realized.

You’ll be seeing more about Christian and Indi and their family very soon.

Filed under: "prevention", Christian Delahunty, Congress, Effexor in pregnancy, FDA, FDA Warnings, Indiana, Julie Edgington, MGH, Manie, Melanie Stokes, PPD, Paxil in pregnancy, Pregnancy, antidepressants, mothers act , Christian Delahunty, Indiana, SIDS, sudden infant death