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Because hormonal changes during pregnancy are thought to protect against depression, and because of concerns about prenatal exposure to antidepressant drugs, stopping antidepressants during pregnancy often is recommended. However, results from this prospective naturalistic study suggest that this might not always be the best approach.
At three U.S. centers, researchers followed 201 pregnant women with histories of depression (mean age, 34) who were euthymic for at least 3 months prior to pregnancy, were receiving antidepressants during or shortly before pregnancy, and were at less than 16 weeks of gestation. Mean duration of depression was 15 years, and 44% of women reported five or more depressive episodes. Participants underwent monthly ps…