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Are antidepressants safe in pregnancy? A focus on SSRIs Therapeutics Initiative (University of British Columbia)

Description

Therapeutics Letter 76 reviews the harms and benefits of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in pregnancy. Conclusions and clinical implications: There is no evidence that SSRIs in pregnancy improve maternal or infant health, and substantive evidence that they pose a risk to the fetus. Thus the harms exceed the benefits in this setting. Non-drug options such as cognitive behavioural therapy or psychotherapy are also unproven, but do not carry a risk to the fetus. The common argument of their lack of availability is not relevant for this relatively small, high priority population. If a patient wants to stop SSRIs in pregnancy, it is best to taper the dose over at least 1 week to minimize withdrawal symptoms. Exercise, social support, sleep hygiene and good nutrition are important for all pregnant people, including those with symptoms of depression.

Item Metadata

Title
Are antidepressants safe in pregnancy? A focus on SSRIs
Alternate Title
Therapeutics Letter 76
Creator
Therapeutics Initiative (University of British Columbia)
Date Issued
2010-02
Description
Therapeutics Letter 76 reviews the harms and benefits of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in pregnancy. Conclusions and clinical implications: There is no evidence that SSRIs in pregnancy improve maternal or infant health, and substantive evidence that they pose a risk to the fetus. Thus the harms exceed the benefits in this setting. Non-drug options such as cognitive behavioural therapy or psychotherapy are also unproven, but do not carry a risk to the fetus. The common argument of their lack of availability is not relevant for this relatively small, high priority population. If a patient wants to stop SSRIs in pregnancy, it is best to taper the dose over at least 1 week to minimize withdrawal symptoms. Exercise, social support, sleep hygiene and good nutrition are important for all pregnant people, including those with symptoms of depression.
Subject
Depression; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; Female; Pregnancy; Psychotherapy; Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors
Genre
Other
Type
Text
Language
eng
Notes
The UBC TI is funded by the BC Ministry of Health to provide evidence-based information about drug therapy. We neither formulate nor adjudicate provincial drug policies.
Date Available
2023-06-20
Provider
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
Rights
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
DOI
10.14288/1.0433655
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/2429/85065
Affiliation
Medicine, Faculty of; Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Department of
Peer Review Status
Reviewed
Scholarly Level
Faculty; Researcher
Rights URI
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
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Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International