When providing information to patients regarding the use of medications during pregnancy, one key element of the decision-making process is an appraisal of the risks associated with untreated psychiatric illness in the mother. While there [...]
While some studies have shown an association between in utero exposure to antidepressants and various pregnancy outcomes, including preterm delivery, low birth weight, and lower Apgar scores, these outcomes have also been linked to untreated maternal depression. Thus, it has been difficult to determine if there is a causal relationship between antidepressant exposure and negative pregnancy outcomes or whether maternal depression is itself responsible for these negative outcomes.
