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The safety of antidepressant drugs during pregnancy

Källén, Bengt LU (2007) In Expert Opinion on Drug Safety 6(4). p.357-370
Abstract
This article discusses known or suspected effects of maternal use of antidepressants during pregnancy on pregnancy outcome. It is unlikely that any marked teratogenic effect occurs with the possible exception of an increased risk for cardiovascular defects after maternal use of clomipramine or paroxetine. An increased risk for preterm birth is seen. Transient neonatal symptoms are common after the use of antidepressants in late pregnancy. Few firm data are available on the possible impact on the long-term neuropsychological development of the infants. The magnitude of the actual contribution from drug therapy is unclear; it is likely that the underlying pathology of the mother explains part of the anomalies. Selective serotonin re-uptake... (More)
This article discusses known or suspected effects of maternal use of antidepressants during pregnancy on pregnancy outcome. It is unlikely that any marked teratogenic effect occurs with the possible exception of an increased risk for cardiovascular defects after maternal use of clomipramine or paroxetine. An increased risk for preterm birth is seen. Transient neonatal symptoms are common after the use of antidepressants in late pregnancy. Few firm data are available on the possible impact on the long-term neuropsychological development of the infants. The magnitude of the actual contribution from drug therapy is unclear; it is likely that the underlying pathology of the mother explains part of the anomalies. Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor drugs seem to represent a smaller hazard than tricyclic antidepressants. Further research to separate the effects of the drug and underlying pathology is urgently needed as are large-scale studies on long-term development. When a pregnant woman has a major depressive disease and non-pharmacological treatments are not enough, the relatively small risk with drug therapy has to be weighed against the considerable risk for a relapse of the disease if therapy is interrupted. (Less)
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author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
neonatal symptoms, antidepressant drugs, congenital malformations, neuropsychological development
in
Expert Opinion on Drug Safety
volume
6
issue
4
pages
357 - 370
publisher
Ashley Publications
external identifiers
  • wos:000248391600002
  • scopus:34548482006
ISSN
1744-764X
DOI
10.1517/14740338.6.4.357
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
58b7cbb7-df4f-4f67-b1f8-ecea1fe26f1f (old id 647765)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 11:51:46
date last changed
2022-01-26 19:20:29
@article{58b7cbb7-df4f-4f67-b1f8-ecea1fe26f1f,
  abstract     = {{This article discusses known or suspected effects of maternal use of antidepressants during pregnancy on pregnancy outcome. It is unlikely that any marked teratogenic effect occurs with the possible exception of an increased risk for cardiovascular defects after maternal use of clomipramine or paroxetine. An increased risk for preterm birth is seen. Transient neonatal symptoms are common after the use of antidepressants in late pregnancy. Few firm data are available on the possible impact on the long-term neuropsychological development of the infants. The magnitude of the actual contribution from drug therapy is unclear; it is likely that the underlying pathology of the mother explains part of the anomalies. Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor drugs seem to represent a smaller hazard than tricyclic antidepressants. Further research to separate the effects of the drug and underlying pathology is urgently needed as are large-scale studies on long-term development. When a pregnant woman has a major depressive disease and non-pharmacological treatments are not enough, the relatively small risk with drug therapy has to be weighed against the considerable risk for a relapse of the disease if therapy is interrupted.}},
  author       = {{Källén, Bengt}},
  issn         = {{1744-764X}},
  keywords     = {{neonatal symptoms; antidepressant drugs; congenital malformations; neuropsychological development}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{357--370}},
  publisher    = {{Ashley Publications}},
  series       = {{Expert Opinion on Drug Safety}},
  title        = {{The safety of antidepressant drugs during pregnancy}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1517/14740338.6.4.357}},
  doi          = {{10.1517/14740338.6.4.357}},
  volume       = {{6}},
  year         = {{2007}},
}