Blog Written by Attorney Jean S. Martin

A recent study in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology suggests that women who take Wellbutrin during the early stages of pregnancy have a greater risk of their child being born with a heart defect.  This study evaluated the effects on a fetus when the mother took Wellbutrin in the first three months of her pregnancy.  The results showed a positive correlation between the Wellbutrin use by the mother and left outflow heart defects in the child. Left outflow defects affect the flow of blood from the heart’s left chamber into the rest of the body and typically require surgical repair when occurring in children. The increased risk was small, but alarming enough that the authors called for more studies to be conducted to confirm the findings.

Wellbutrin is a popular antidepressant drug manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline.  Wellbutrin has been on the market since 1985 and also comes in sustained-release and extended-release versions known as Wellbutrin SR and Wellbutrin XL.  The generic name for this drug used to treat clinical depression and seasonal affective disorder is Bupropion hydrochloride.  Wellbutrin is sometimes prescribed to help people quit smoking.  GlaxoSmithKline markets Bupropion hydrochloride under the name of Zyban for smoking-cessation.

Currently, Wellbutrin is classified as a Pregnancy Category C drug.  This classification is used when animal reproduction studies have shown that the drug has an adverse effect on the fetus, but there are either no adequate or well-controlled studies that have been conducted in humans.

This study is just the latest to find an association between antidepressant use in pregnancy and congenital heart defects.  Last year a Danish study reported an increased risk in heart defects when mothers used antidepressants such as Paxil, Prozac, Zoloft or Celexa during the early stages of pregnancy.  GlaxoSmithKline, which also manufacturers Paxil, has reportedly entered into settlements in cases involving birth defects linked to Paxil use and has set aside over $1billion to cover these claims.