1031 Deaths of Babies Exposed to Psychotropic Drugs

“There’s no tragedy in life like the death of a child. Things never get back to the way they were.”
- President Dwight David Eisenhower

Below is a link that shows some of the MedWatch reports submitted to the FDA of deaths caused to babies by exposure prenatally and neonatally to psychotropic drugs. This does not include the birth defects and withdrawal syndromes for babies who did survive exposure, which seems to be the only thing we usually hear about in the media concerning the drugs’ risks for babies. These figures are based on about a four year time period and represent from 1-10% of likely actual deaths. Keep in mind that these were preventable deaths of helpless babies which would not have occurred were it not for the exposure to psychotropic drugs prenatally and neonatally.

Go to http://psychdrugdangers.com/MothersAct.html and look through the summary tables for the 1,031 Abortions, Miscarriages & Other Deaths. You can see the breakdown for each drug class.

Filed under: "mood stabilizers", "prevention", Effexor, Effexor in pregnancy, experimentation, forced 'treatment', Fred Baughman MD, Indiana, Informed Consent, Isaac Philo, Julie Edgington, Katherine Stone, lawsuits, Melanie Stokes, mothers act, advocacy, anti-anxiety medication, anticonvulsants, antidepressants, antipsychotics, Katherine Stone, legislation, mothers act, Postpartum Support International, PSI, Robert Menendez, stimulants, The MOTHERS Act

ABC Prevents Mothers From Learning About Antidepressant Risks During Pregnancy

Today I posted the following comment on a story about Heather Armstrong, a blogger who earns about $40,000 per month for her blogging coming from advertising. She writes about her mental illness treatment and uses scathing language in her posts. Anyway, my mom saw an interview with her talking about her use of antidepressants and she was 6 months pregnant during the interview. My mom’s comment was removed within a few minutes, so I decided to post one of my own. It was removed within 30 minutes. Here is what I said.

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/comments?type=story&id=4836738

It’s very interesting to note that my mother posted a comment on this story which was subsequently removed within a few hours. This was what she said, “I am disappointed to learn that Heather is taking antidepressants during her pregnancy. She and you should watch a video about an “Effexor baby” who died at 6 weeks of age. The link is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGX_34TmT4w
There are many others.”

Very interesting indeed considering that Birdie Meyer, President of “Postpartum Support International” works with ABC’s General Hospital to formulate a story line in which Dr. Robin has PPD and “reaches out for help.” Also interesting considering Katherine Stone, board member of PSI, wrote the PSA that directs viewers to contact PSI for help. Stone’s blog, Postpartum Progress, promotes the use of antidepressants during pregnancy. Katherine Stone also has received money funelled from Pfizer through Mental Health America to compensate her for speaking on Perinatal Mood Disorders and their treatment.

Does ABC intend to censor information that could save babies from possible death?
Please go to my website http://uniteforlife.org/ for more information.

I am very disappointed that you would choose to remove my mom’s comment, and I find it not only irresponsible but insulting. How dare you prevent other mothers from learning the truth and possibly saving their babies.

Filed under: Postpartum Progress, Postpartum Support International, Pregnancy, Birdie Meyer, General Hospital, Heather Armstrong, Katherine Stone, Postpartum Support International, PSI

A Virtual License To Kill

To: House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence
Re: HB 3318 Infanticide Bill

I urge you to refuse adoption of the infanticide bill before your committee. I am a mother who has been to the brink and back of what some people consider postpartum depression or postpartum psychosis. However it was not postpartum depression or psychosis at all, but rather the adverse effects of Zoloft. You can watch my YouTube video about what happened to me in 2004, when I was drugged by my OBGYN and later by psychiatrists simply for having a panic attack after my firstborn son almost died from a choking episode at the hospital: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQW23XCmOCw

As a survivor of Zoloft and psychiatry, I co-founded Children and Adults Against Drugging America and founded UNITE (uniteforlife.org). I have been active in coordinating a national campaign to stop a bill called The MOTHERS Act, which will, if passed, ensure that Texas has even more drugged mothers who kill their children. According to the FDA and drug labels, antidepressants actually cause psychosis, hallucinations, homicidal ideation, and suicide. They are similar to LSD, PCP and methamphetamines in their effects in that they elevate serotonin and cause aggression. (Google “Serotonin Syndrome.”) The women used as examples for this bill are mostly women who also suffered psychosis because of antidepressants and other medications.

A subjective “diagnosis” (opinion) of a postpartum mood disorder is relatively meaningless in terms of legal fault or defenses other than one consideration, and that is that a “diagnosis” of a PMD almost always means the mother was placed on medications that have these horrific effects. However, as a mother who contemplated and hallucinated killing my son under the influence of Zoloft, and a woman who contemplated killing my mother, husband, cats and neighbors and then committing suicide after my dose was raised a second time, I do not support any reduction in sentencing of mothers who kill, other than exemption from the death penalty. Even though I know it was Zoloft and not PPD or some other “disorder” that caused my problems, I feel that if I had actually carried out my thoughts or urges, I would have deserved prison for a very, very long time.

It baffles me that anyone could support a bill to lighten sentences for killing an infant under the age of 12 months. I also object to the bill’s criteria for the defense, “judgment was impaired by childbirth or lactation.” I find this not only offensive as a five year veteran nursing mother and someone who has birthed two babies, but also nonsensical. If anything, childbirth and breastfeeding create the urge to protect your child, not the opposite.

In light of the mass drugging of new mothers to “prevent” PPD, Texas is going to have to deal with infanticide some way other than releasing prisoners to go get on even more drugs in the psychiatric hospital. This would not improve or “fix” the criminal or mental health systems, nor would it help women. It would put the public, especially babies, at even greater risk. This virtual license to kill must not be allowed.

Sincerely,

Amy Philo

Filed under: pharmacology, Andrea Yates, Dena Schlosser, George Parnham, infanticide bill, PSI, virtual license to kill

Postpartum Support International Reliance on Emory Studies to Justify Pregnant and Nursing Mothers’ Use of Drugs

Evelyn Pringle tipped me off to another connection between Postpartum Support International (PSI) and industry-influenced information. If you go to this link on their site, you can see information being forwarded to moms from the Emory Women’s Mental Health Program as well as Massachussetts General Hospital (who also takes money from drug companies while simultaneously promoting The MOTHERS Act and claiming that drugs like Paxil are safe for pregnancy).

Charles Grassley’s investigations into major psychiatric opinion leaders have consistently demonstrated undisclosed financial conflicts of interest. The latest investigation led to Dr. Nemeroff’s voluntary surrender of his post at Emory as the head of the Psychiatry Department. Grassley found Nereroff made millions of dollars off SRRI makers and only disclosed a small fraction of the amount.

Here are some of the Nemeroff articles that PSI links to: 

Sertraline in the Treatment of Women with Postpartum Onset Major Depression
Stowe Z.N., Casarella J., Landry J.C., and Nemeroff C.B. (1995) “Sertraline in the Treatment of Women with Postpartum Onset Major Depression”. Depression. 3:49-55. 

Women at Risk for Postpartum Depression
Stowe Z.N., and Nemeroff C.B. (1995) “Women at Risk for Postpartum Depression”. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 173:639-645.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Postpartum Depression
Winn S.S., Stowe Z.N., and Nemeroff C.B. “Diagnosis and Treatment of Postpartum Depression”. Clinical Advances in the Treatment of Psychiatric Disorders. 10:1-11(Jan/Feb 1996)

Depression During Pregnancy and the Puerperium
Llewellyn A., Stowe Z.N., and Nemeroff C.B. (1997) “Depression During Pregnancy and the Puerperium”. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 58 [suppl. 15]:26-32.

The Use of Lithium and Management of Women with Bipolar Disorder During Pregnancy and Lactation
Llewellyn A., Stowe Z.N., and Nemeroff C.B. (1998) “The Use of Lithium and Management of Women with Bipolar Disorder During Pregnancy and Lactation”. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 59 [suppl 6]:57-64.

Paroxetine in Breast Milk and Nursing Infants
Stowe Z.N., Cohen L.S., Hostetter A, Ritchie J.C., Owens M.J., and Nemeroff C.B. (2000) “Paroxetine in Breast Milk and Nursing Infants”. American Journal of Psychiatry. 157:185-189.

Parental Depression: Animal Models of an Adverse Life Event
Newport DJ, Stowe ZN, Nemeroff CB. (2002) Parental depression: animal models of an adverse life event. American Journal of Psychiatry. 159(8): 1265-1283.

The Pharmacokinetics of Sertraline Excretion into Human Breast Milk: Determinants of Infant Serum Concentrations
Stowe ZN, Hostetter AL, Owens MJ, Ritchie JC, Sternberg K, Cohen LS and Nemeroff CB. (2003) “The Phamacokinetics of Sertraline Excretion into Human Breast Milk: Determinants of Infant Serum Concentrations”. J Clinical Psychiatry. 64(1):73-80.

Alterations in Platelet Serotonin Transporter Binding in Women with Postpartum Onset Major Depression
Newport DJ, Owens MJ, Knight DL, Ragan KA, Morgan N, Nemeroff CB and Stowe ZN. (2004) Alterations in Platelet Serotonin Transporter Binding in Women with Postpartum Onset Major Depression. J Psychiatr Res 38: 467-473.

Psychopharmacology During Pregnancy and Lactation
Newport DJ, Stowe ZN. Psychopharmacology during pregnancy and lactation. In Schatzberg A, Nemeroff CB, eds. (2006) Essentials of Clinical Psychopharmacology, Second Edition. Washington DC: American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. pp 745-77.

Atypical Antipsychotic Administration During Late Pregnancy: Placental Passage and Obstetrical Outcomes
Newport DJ. Calamaras MR. DeVane CL. Donovan J. Beach AJ. Winn S. Knight BT. Gibson BB. Viguera AC. Owens MJ. Nemeroff CB. Stowe ZN. (August, 2007) Atypical antipsychotic administration during late pregnancy: placental passage and obstetrical outcomes. American Journal of Psychiatry. 164(8):1214-20.

Persistent Auditory Hallucinations that are Unresponsive to Antipsychotic Drugs
Nicolson SE, Mayberg HS, Pennell PB, Nemeroff CB. (2006) Persistent auditory hallucinations that are unresponsive to antipsychotic drugs. Am J Psychiatry. 163(7):1153-1159.

Recent Advances in the Neurobiology of Neuropeptides: Focus on Corticotropin-Releasing Factor
Nemeroff CB and Owens MJ. (1986) “Recent advances in the neurobiology of neuropeptides: focus on corticotropin-releasing factor”. Biological Psychiatry. 1985. (Shagass et al., Eds.). Elsevier Publishing, Amsterdam, 103-105.

Preclinical and Clinical Studies with Corticotropin-Releasing Factor: Implications for Affective Disorders
Owens MJ and Nemeroff CB. (1988) “Preclinical and clinical studies with corticotropin-releasing factor: Implications for affective disorders”. Psychopharmacology Bulletin 24:355-359.

Reduced Corticotropin-Releasing Factor (CRF) Binding Sites in the Frontal Cortex of Suicides
Nemeroff CB, Owens MJ, Bissette G, Andorn AC and Stanley M. (1988) “Reduced corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) binding sites in the frontal cortex of suicides”. Archives of General Psychiatry 45:577-579.

Acute Effects of Alprazolam and Adinazolam on the Concentrations of Corticotropin-Releasing Factor in the Rat Brain
Owens MJ, Bissette G and Nemeroff CB. (1989) “Acute effects of alprazolam and adinazolam on the concentrations of corticotropin-releasing factor in the rat brain”. Synapse 4:196-202.

Neurotransmitter Regulation of CRF Secretion In Vitro
Owens MJ and Nemeroff CB. (1989) “Neurotransmitter regulation of CRF secretion in vitro. Corticotropin-Releasing Factor: Basic and Clinical Studies of a Neuropeptide “(EB DeSouza and CB Nemeroff, Eds.). CRC Press, Inc., Boca Raton, FL, 107-114.

Postnatal Development of Brain Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Receptors in the Rat
Pihoker C, Cain ST, Owens MJ and Nemeroff CB. (1991) “Postnatal development of brain corticotropin-releasing factor receptors in the rat”. Horizons in Endocrinology Volume II. Serono Symposia 76, (M Maggi and V Geenen, Eds.). Raven Press, NY.

Excretion of Sertraline in Human Breast Milk and Nursing Infants
Stowe ZN, Owens MJ, Landry JC, Kilts CD, Ely T, Llewellyn A and Nemeroff CB. (1997) Excretion of Sertraline in Human Breast Milk and Nursing Infants. American J. Psychiatry 154:1255-1260.

The Effects of Acute Antipsychotic Drug Administration on the Neurotensin System of the Developing Rat Brain
Kinkead B, Owens MJ and Nemeroff CB. (2000) “The effects of acute antipsychotic drug administration on the neurotensin system of the developing rat brain”. Brain Research Dev Brain Res 124:1-10.

 

The list goes on, but I think you get the idea.

Filed under: antidepressants, antipsychotics, Charles Grassley, child endangerment, experimentation, Julie Edgington, Manie, MGH, mothers act, Paxil in pregnancy, pharma payments to doctors, PPD, Pregnancy, Breastfeeding, Charles Grassley, Charles Nemeroff, Pregnancy, PSI, Psychotropics