University of Alabama

More questions on antidepressants during pregnancy

When moms-to-be use antidepressants, their babies may be more likely to be born early or have a seizure soon after birth, a large U.

S. study suggests.The findings, reported in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, add to evidence linking antidepressants to certain pregnancy risks -- including preterm birth and smaller size at birth.Experts are not sure if the medications, themselves, are to blame.But in general, they say the safest course is to stop using antidepressants during pregnancy, if possible.In the new study, researchers found that among nearly 229,000 infants born to Tennessee women, those whose moms used antidepressants during their second trimester tended to be born earlier.When mothers filled two or three antidepressant prescriptions during the second trimester, their babies stayed in the womb for four to five days less, on average, than other babies.In addition, newborns were more likely to have a seizure if their mother used a selective serotonin reuptake inhi...

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