The FDA has announced that it plans to further examine the role of SSRIs in babies with PPHN.

Talk to your healthcare professional if you are taking Lexapro and are pregnant, or are planning to become pregnant. You and your healthcare professional can decide the best way to treat your depression during pregnancy.

More information on antidepressants is available from the FDA here.

Lexapro and the Increased Risk of Suicidality

In October 2004, the FDA issued a public health advisory directing all antidepressant drug manufacturers to revise their product labeling to include boxed warning and expanded warning statements that alert healthcare providers to an increased risk of suicidality (suicidal thinking and behavior) in children and adolescents being treated with these medications. Lexapro-maker Forest Laboratories, Inc. has since added a black box warning to Lexapro's prescribing information in response to the FDA advisory. Click here for more information on this advisory.

In June 2005, the FDA issued a public health advisory announcing that several recent scientific publications suggested the possibility of an increased risk for suicidal behavior in adults being treated with antidepressant medications, such as Lexapro. The FDA highlighted that adults taking antidepressants (particularly those being treated for depression) should be watched closely for worsening depression and increased suicidality. Monitoring these patients is especially important when treatment begins and when doses are increased or decreased. The FDA is working closely with antidepressant manufacturers to fully evaluate the risk of suicidality in adults treated with these medications. Click here for more information on this advisory.