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Depression treatment during pregnancy brings together many current issues: the fact that at least 10% of pregnant women in the U.S. are depressed; the tremendous surge in the use of SSRIs; and the lack of data about the effects of prenatal medications on the fetus, newborn, and young child. These researchers used the World Health Organization's database of adverse drug reactions to explore the possibility that SSRI use during pregnancy is associated with neonatal convulsions and withdrawal symptoms.
Of 93 suspected cases of SSRI-induced neonatal withdrawal syndrome reported by November 2003, 64 were associated with paroxetine use, 14 with fluoxetine, 9 with sertraline, and 7 with citalopram (1 patient used both paroxetine and fluoxetine). Re…