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SSRI Testing Available in Umbilical Cord Tissue

Every hospital wants the best start for a newborn in their care. But exposure to certain drugs and medications during pregnancy can affect the newborn’s health. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are a class of drugs that can be used to treat depression, anxiety, or other psychological disorders, but these medications can have significant effects on newborns:
 
  • 30% of SSRI-exposed infants experience neonatal adaptation syndrome.(1)
  • Symptoms may include jitteriness, poor feeding, and respiratory distress.(1)
  • SSRI exposure is associated with earlier onset of emotional disorders in childhood.(2)
 

Our state-of-the-art SSRI testing in umbilical cord tissue identifies in-utero exposure to help your hospital provide appropriate attention in the crucial first days of life.

Taking action is simple:

  1. Call us or schedule a meeting
  2. Request SSRI testing for your organization
  3. Receive results in 1-3 business days
The following analytes will be included in the panel or add-on option:
1: Prescribed drug and metabolite of venlafaxine
2: Metabolite of sertraline
3: This assay does not distinguish between citalopram and escitalopram (Celexa/Lexapro)
4: Metabolite of citalopram/escitalopram

Don’t leave the newborn’s health to chance. Contact us today to learn more about SSRI testing and how it can benefit the most vulnerable patients in your care. Let’s work together to make that happen.

1: Levinson-Castiel R, Merlob P, Linder N, Sirota L, Klinger G. Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome After In Utero Exposure to Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors in Term Infants. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2006;160(2):173–176. doi:10.1001/archpedi.160.2.173
2: Bliddal, M., Wesselhoeft, R., Strandberg-Larsen, K. et al. Prenatal antidepressant exposure and emotional disorders until age 22: a danish register study. Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health 17, 73 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13034-023-00624-9


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