Is Prenatal SSRI Exposure Harmful to Newborns?

Infants born to mothers on SSRIs should be monitored closely for neonatal abstinence syndrome and persistent pulmonary hypertension.

When taken by pregnant women, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) cross the placenta and have the potential to affect newborns. Although SSRIs have not been associated with congenital malformations, some evidence suggests that they are associated with neonatal complications such as neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) and persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPH). Two studies point to such risks.

Researchers in Israel assessed NAS in 60 full-term newborns whose mothers had taken SSRIs (mostly paroxetine) during the third semester and in 60 unexposed control infants matched for birth weight, gender, and gestational age. Among the 60 exposed infants, 18 (30%) exhibited NAS (based on the Finnegan score for evaluating neonatal narcotic w…

Reviewing Authors

Cornelius W. Van Niel, MD

Howard Bauchner, MD