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SSRIs

SSRI Exposure During Pregnancy Does Not Appear to Affect Infant Growth

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; however, these outcomes have also been observed in infants born to depressed mothers who are not taking medication. Thus, it has been difficult to determine if there is a causal relationship between antidepressant exposure and these negative pregnancy outcomes or if untreated maternal depression is itself responsible for these negative outcomes. 

By |2015-08-06T11:14:10-04:00April 18th, 2013|Antidepressants, Outcomes, Pregnancy & Medications, Pregnancy Outcomes|Comments Off on SSRI Exposure During Pregnancy Does Not Appear to Affect Infant Growth
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Antidepressants and Pregnancy: A Meta-Analysis Puts the Risks into a Larger Context

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.

By |2015-08-06T13:22:16-04:00March 1st, 2013|Antidepressants, Outcomes, Pregnancy & Medications, Pregnancy Outcomes|Comments Off on Antidepressants and Pregnancy: A Meta-Analysis Puts the Risks into a Larger Context
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Dr. Lee Cohen in Ob-Gyn News: Using SSRIs in Pregnancy

Over the last decade, attention in the medical literature has gathered logarithmically to focus on potentially efficacious treatments for perinatal depression. Studies of relevant databases, editorials, and various reviews have addressed the reproductive safety concerns of antidepressant treatments, particularly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) on one hand, and the impact of untreated maternal psychiatric illness on fetal and maternal well-being on the other.

By |2024-03-31T10:40:13-04:00December 13th, 2012|Antidepressants, ObGyn News, Outcomes, Pregnancy & Medications|Comments Off on Dr. Lee Cohen in Ob-Gyn News: Using SSRIs in Pregnancy
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SSRIs and Pregnancy: Putting the Risks and Benefits into Perspective

Prozac hit the market in 1988, the first selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant approved by the FDA for the treatment of depression.  Because it was safer and more tolerable than the antidepressants that preceded it, Prozac was soon the most commonly prescribed antidepressant in the United States.

By |2015-08-06T13:57:24-04:00December 6th, 2012|Antidepressants, Outcomes, Pregnancy & Medications, Risk of Malformations|Comments Off on SSRIs and Pregnancy: Putting the Risks and Benefits into Perspective
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Measuring the Effects of Antidepressants versus Untreated Depression on Pregnancy Outcomes

Multiple studies have demonstrated an increased risk of poor neonatal adaptation associated with exposure to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants in late pregnancy.  Results in the literature consistently indicate that about 25%-30% of infants exposed to SSRIs late in pregnancy manifest symptoms of poor neonatal adaption, including jitteriness, restlessness, increased muscle tone, rapid breathing.  These symptoms are transient, resolving spontaneously with no specific medical intervention.

By |2015-08-12T13:56:55-04:00July 10th, 2012|Depressive Disorders, Outcomes, Psychiatric Disorders During Pregnancy|Comments Off on Measuring the Effects of Antidepressants versus Untreated Depression on Pregnancy Outcomes
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PPHN and SSRIs: Yet Another Study

A few weeks after the FDA called into question the association between SSRI exposure and persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn or PPHN, BMJ published another article supporting an increased risk of PPHN among infants exposed to SSRIs in utero.

By |2015-08-12T16:58:14-04:00January 26th, 2012|Antidepressants, Child Outcomes, Neonatal Symptoms, Outcomes, Pregnancy & Medications|Comments Off on PPHN and SSRIs: Yet Another Study
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SSRIs and PPHN: The FDA Revises Its Warning

In 2006, Chambers and colleagues published an article in the New England Journal of Medicine linking SSRI use during late pregnancy to an increased risk of persistent pulmonary hypertension in the newborn (PPHN).   Based on these findings, the “Usage in Pregnancy” section on the labels for SRRI antidepressants was updated to include the following warning: “Infants exposed to SSRIs in late pregnancy may have an increased risk for persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN).”

By |2015-08-12T17:01:20-04:00January 17th, 2012|Antidepressants, Child Outcomes, Neonatal Symptoms, Outcomes, Pregnancy & Medications|Comments Off on SSRIs and PPHN: The FDA Revises Its Warning
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Escitalopram (Lexapro) and Pregnancy

Both citalopram and escitalopram are antidepressants belonging to the SSRI class.  While escitalopram (marketed in the U.S. as Lexapro) contains only the S-stereoisomer (or enantiomer) of the drug citalopram, Celexa or generic citalopram is a racemic mixture of the S-citalopram and its mirror image, R-citalopram, which is less effective as an antidepressant.

By |2015-08-12T17:07:37-04:00December 5th, 2011|Antidepressants, Outcomes, Pregnancy & Medications|Comments Off on Escitalopram (Lexapro) and Pregnancy
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