Anti-Depressant Use in Pregnancy Affect Baby

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/10/06/antidepressant.pregnancy.newborn/index.html

More than 1 in 10 women develop depression during pregnancy. A new study suggests that women who are treated with anti-depressants are more likely to give birth early, or have newborns that need to be in the neonatal intensive care unit. 

The study included 329 women who took SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, most common medication for depression), 4902 women with a history of psychiatric illness who weren't taking the drugs, and 51,770 women who had no history of psychiatric illness and weren't taking the medication. All had received care at Aarhus University Hospital between 1989 and 2006.

Babies of women taking SSRIs were born an average of 5 days earlier, and were twice as likely to be preterm than those born to women with no mental illness. They were also 2.4 times as likely to have been in neonatal care. 

Experts say that using non-pharmacologial treatments during pregnancy, when possible, is a good idea. In cases with mild to moderate symptoms, psychotherapy can be used as an alternative treatment. In severe cases and in patients with a history of recurrent, severe depression, SSRIs may be the best option. Every case should be considered individually, and the decision should be made by the woman and her ob-gyn and psychiatrist.