Genetic variants in maternal and fetal metabolic pathways for folate, homocysteine, and transsulfuration raised risk for congenital cardiac defects associated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.
Despite multiple studies, whether selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) use during pregnancy increases risk for congenital heart defects remains incompletely determined. In an elegantly designed population-based case-control study involving 1180 cases of congenital heart defects and 1644 controls (all prenatally exposed to SSRIs), investigators asked whether maternal and fetal genetic variants in folate, homocysteine, and transsulfuration metabolic pathways known to be linked to both depression and cardiogenesis affected risk. Cardiac defects were verified by experts, periconceptional maternal SSRI use was self-reported, and several confounding factors were considered.
Genetic variants were identified in all three pathways in both mo…
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