Anti-depressants and Pregnancy

Women have become quite prone to antidepressants. Pregnant women find it quite difficult to manage control over these drugs because of constant fear of relapse; a relapse that might have bad repercussions on baby in the womb. Most of the working women resort to SSRIs to counter tension in daily life. However, it is significant to note that SSRIs could result in miscarriages too. In fact, studies have revealed that the risk of miscarriage doubles in women due to constant dose of SSRI. SSRI refers to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor useful in controlling mental stress.

Taking antidepressants has also proved harmful for the child in mother’s womb. The child is likely to develop symptoms of autism. It’s a nervous disease that affects the central part of the body, snatching away personal power to understand things clearly and precisely. Studies have revealed that mothers taking antidepressants might have children at higher risks of autism.

Babies are likely to be afflicted by persistent hypertension in case mothers are relying on heavy doses of SSRIs. The risk to get the disease is likely to escalate in the last trimester of pregnancy. The infants might become an easy victim of neonatal abstinence syndrome if mothers took antidepressants during pregnancy. The child might find discomfort due to disturbed sleep disorder, gastrointestinal problem and regular shivers. Studies have also revealed that mothers on SSRIs might see low birth weight of child. The child’s weight is likely to fall in case mother is heavily dependent on these medicines.

The increased risk to the child during pregnancy has brought in light the increased consequences of antidepressants. SSRIs are safe in some cases, however; harmful for child during pregnancy. The increase in birth deficiencies has escalated in recent times with antidepressants considered one of the major factors in such cases.

Tips to follow after dog bite

My brother was recently bitten by a stray dog while jogging in the lanes of locality. The dog was, but obviously, not immunized. What could you possibly do under such situation? There are some tips I’d like to share while facing this situation:

1. Rush to the nearest hospital as soon as possible. If the area around the bite reddens, it will worsen the patient’s condition.

2. Get the injured area thoroughly cleaned by a medical professional. This implies cleaning the wound, removing the blood and dirt.

3. Get the bandage done and keep it covered for at least two hours. If the wound is not serious, you can remove after an hour too.

4. Immunize yourself with tetanus and anti-rabies injection. Doctors advise for tetanus first with a few minutes interval for the next injection.

5. Make sure you follow the course of medication. Take prescribed medicines like paracetamol and antibiotics as per schedule. A course of five anti-rabies injections is required for a month on a weekly basis.

6. If the blood or water continues to ooze after removal, give a compression. This implies removing the fluid with a dry cotton.

7. You can use bentadine ointment to start the healing process.

8. Make sure you throw the removed bandage or cotton in safe area away from the reach of children.

9. It is very important to give rest to the body part for a period of two or more days depending upon the injury.

10. It is also significant to let the injured area dry as much as possible. Give a lot of exposure to air of the surroundings. This would help in quick healing of wound.

11. There is no advice regarding diet, however; it is best to take vitamin and protein enriched food and drinks.

These tips could help a lot in case caution is exercised. If the dog bite is really serious, the doctor could advise for hospitalization. Make sure you follow the right schedule to recuperate from dog bite.