A class of antipsychotics used to treat conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder may pose risks to the fetus when taken by the mother during her third trimester, reports Bloomberg.
Known as atypical antipsychotics or second generation antipsychotics, the class of drugs includes Aripiprazole (sold under the brand name Abilify), Quetiapine (brand name Seroquel) and Clozapine (brand name Clozaril), along with about 20 others.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration updated labeling requirements for these drugs, which must now carry a warning that side effects may cause abnormal muscle movements and withdrawal symptoms in newborns, including tremors, sleepiness and difficulty with breathing or feeding.
"In some newborns, the symptoms subside within hours or days and do not require specific treatment; other newborns may require longer hospital stays," said the FDA.
Expectant mothers who are already taking these antipsychotics should not discontinue them without first talking to a physician, as abruptly stopping the drugs "can cause significant complications for treatment," advises the FDA.