When Is Antidepressant Use Associated with Postpartum Hemorrhage?

One additional case occurs for every 80 to 100 women using antidepressants at the time of delivery.

Postpartum hemorrhage occurs in 3% of U.S. deliveries and can lead to maternal blood transfusions, admissions to intensive care units, and mortality. Because serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) can increase bleeding risk, investigators examined a Medicaid database to determine rates of prenatal SRI monotherapy and postpartum hemorrhage in 106,000 low-income women with live births and diagnoses of depressive and anxiety disorders, including adjustment disorders (ages, 12–55).

Antidepressant use was analyzed by time of prescription. Results were adjusted for known risk factors for postpartum hemorrhage, number of mood/anxiety disorder diagnoses, other indications for antidepressant use, labor characteristics, and use of other psychotropics or…

Reviewing Author

Deborah Cowley, MD

Disclosures

Grant / Research supportHealth Resources and Services Administration; Katz Family Foundation

Deborah Cowley, MD

Disclosures

Grant / Research supportHealth Resources and Services Administration; Katz Family Foundation

When Is Antidepressant Use Associated with Postpartum Hemorrhage?

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Reviewing Author