Mumbai, January 29: With the incidence of depression rising, many men and women routinely take antidepressant drugs to help them cope with the condition. A recent study, published in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM), suggests that these drugs can interfere with lactation in new mothers.

Findings reported by the study show that women on some routinely used antidepressant medicines could experience a delay in lactation after childbirth. The drugs could lead to a condition known as delayed secretory activation characterized by a failure to initiate normal full milk secretion.

Co-author of the study, Nelson Horseman of the University of Cincinnati, said that milk secretion in breasts is directly linked to production and regulation of the hormone serotonin in the body.  He explained that many antidepressant drugs such as fluoxetine, paroxetine and sertraline that are meant to regulate moods, emotions and sleep, also influence serotonin production in the body. These durgs are classed  as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) drugs. Thus, these drugs affect serotonin levels in the breasts, leading to a delay in normal milk flow.

The researchers relied on clinical studies of human and animal cell lines, as also genetically modified mice to assess how the SSRI drugs influenced lactation. An observational study also evaluated the impact of SSRI drugs on the onset of milk production in postpartum women. The study found that mothers who were being treated with SSRI drugs lactated 85.8 hours postpartum, as compared to 69.1 hours for mothers who were not taking these drugs; lactation which occurs 72 hours postpartum is generally classed as delayed secretory activation.

Because SSRI drugs are commonly used, Horseman said, understanding problems faced by young moms taking them is important. More human research is needed before we can make specific recommendations regarding SSRI use during breastfeeding," Horseman said.

Also read: Foods for lactating mums

Tags: Breastfeeding, Antidepressants

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