cardiac defects - MGH Center for Women's Mental Health

Essential Reads: Bupropion (Wellbutrin) and Risk for Major Malformations

Bupropion is commonly used to treat depression, and is also prescribed to support smoking cessation. Early data on bupropion-exposure during pregnancy raised concern for a possible increase in risk of malformations of the heart and large blood vessels in bupropion-exposed infants. Subsequent data from bupropion pregnancy registries has been reassuring, however, and do not demonstrate an overall increase in risk of cardiac defects following first trimester bupropion exposure. Although the overall risk of cardiac defects was not increased, the distribution of specific defects in these registries was unexpected in some ways. For example, the GlaxoSmithKline Bupropion Pregnancy Registry included two cases of coarctation of the aorta out of the 675 bupropion-exposed infants, compared to the rate of 6 cases per 10,000 births in the general population.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2021-10-27T20:42:23-04:00April 15th, 2021|Antidepressants, Essential Reads, Outcomes, Pregnancy & Medications, Risk of Malformations|Comments Off

Antidepressants and Pregnancy: Are Some SSRIs Safer Than Others?

Over the last decade, numerous studies on the reproductive safety of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have been published. However, these studies, using different methodologies and studying different populations, have often yielded conflicting results. [...]

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2020-11-26T08:39:16-04:00July 10th, 2015|Antidepressants, Outcomes, Pregnancy & Medications|Comments Off

Wellbutrin (Bupropion) Exposure and Risk of Cardiac Malformations

Bupropion is commonly used to treat depression, and is also prescribed to support smoking cessation. Early data on bupropion-exposure during pregnancy raised concern for a possible increase in risk of malformations of the heart and large blood vessels in bupropion-exposed infants. Subsequent data from bupropion pregnancy registries has been reassuring, however, and do not demonstrate an overall increase in risk of cardiac defects following first trimester bupropion exposure. Although the overall risk of cardiac defects was not increased, the distribution of specific defects in these registries was unexpected in some ways. For example, the GlaxoSmithKline Bupropion Pregnancy Registry included two cases of coarctation of the aorta out of the 675 bupropion-exposed infants, compared to the rate of 6 cases per 10,000 births in the general population.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2014-09-11T09:57:22-04:00September 11th, 2014|Antidepressants, Outcomes, Pregnancy & Medications, Risk of Malformations|Comments Off