Maternal Antidepressant Use and Perinatal Mortality

Use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors does not seem to raise risk for stillbirth or infant death.

Women who experience depression during pregnancy are at excess risk for obstetric and psychiatric complications. Pharmacologic management of depression requires careful exploration of the risks and benefits; and whether adverse pregnancy outcomes associated with some antidepressants are related to the agents or to the underlying maternal condition is unknown. Researchers used national birth and pharmacy registries to evaluate risk for stillbirth and infant death associated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) use among pregnant women in five Nordic countries.

Among 1.6 million women with singleton pregnancies from 1996 through 2007, 1.8% filled ≥1 SSRI prescriptions during pregnancy. The stillbirth rate was 3.7 per 1000 births;…

Reviewing Author

Allison Bryant, MD, MPH

Disclosures

RoyaltiesUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesSociety for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (Board of Directors)

Allison Bryant, MD, MPH

Disclosures

RoyaltiesUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesSociety for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (Board of Directors)

Maternal Antidepressant Use and Perinatal Mortality

Topics

Reviewing Author