New study warns of antidepressant use during pregnancy

Doctors have long suspected that there is a few causal relationship between a pregnant woman’s use of a class of antidepressants known as SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) and the increased risk of birth defects.

Participants reported the use of five antidepressants during the study, including sertraline (Zoloft), citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac), and paroxetine (Paxil).

The study does not prove Paxil and Prozac cause birth defects, CDC researcher Jennita Reefhuis said.

Eli Lilly, which distributes Prozac, told ABC News its drugs face rigorous safety evaluations before being released and that the company “completed a significant body of research on Prozac, which is considered as having a positive benefit-risk profile for patients by regulatory authorities and physicians around the world”. Moreover, almost 10,000 mothers of children without birth defects were also studied.

She said the work was well done, though she expressed surprise that no associations were found between Zoloft – the most commonly prescribed SSRI – and birth defects, given the previous studies. There are other medications available for future mothers who wish to take all measures to assure the good health of their child. They looked at the number of birth defects among babies and asked women whether they took any antidepressants in the month before getting pregnant or during the first three months of pregnancy. While Paxil (paroxetine) was discovered to also cause heart or skull irregularities, along with defects of the abdominal wall or brain. Paxil also was found to be associated with anencephaly, which is when the baby is missing a part of the skull and brain, and these birth defects were found with the medication in the study.

For example the risk of a particular birth defect might rise from 2 per 10,000 to 7 per 10,000. The researchers said the results of Zoloft were “reassuring” because the drug was used by some 40 percent of the women who said they took the antidepressant in early pregnancy.

However, Dr. Erwin urges pregnant mothers to keep in mind that the increased risk for birth defects while taking these medications is still very small. “The current analysis provides guidance to the safest treatment options during early pregnancy to minimize the risk of major birth defects, while providing adequate treatment of maternal depression”.

Sertraline (Zoloft): No increased risk of birth defects. “Many women need to take medication during pregnancy to appropriately manage their symptoms”.