Mental Health Blogs

A new study out in the BMJ yet again links anti-depressants to birth defects due to women taking anti-depressants in the first trimester of a pregnancy.

“Still, the authors said the absolute risk is relatively low: 246 women would have to take such medication in order to see one septal heart defect. And 62 mothers would have to take more than one SSRI to see a problem in one child.

“‘A potential association with malformations must be considered in the choice of treatment of depression during pregnancy,’ said Dr. Lars Henning Pedersen, lead author and a research assistant in the department of epidemiology at Aarhus University in Denmark. However, ‘if our data is correct, the absolute risk is low, which must be balanced against the potential substantial risk of under- or untreated depression during pregnancy.’”

Oddly enough, the study didn’t turn up problems with Paxil–usually thought to be the worst of anti-depressants for birth defects–and Prozac. The risks were seen with Zoloft and Celexa (and that would mean Lexapro too).

While the risk isn’t high in an absolute sense–less than one-half of 1 percent–that’s small comfort to a pregnant woman taking anti-depressants.

I’ve long considered the evidence of birth defects problems with anti-depressants to be mixed. Now, I’m more convinced than ever that something is going on here.

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Related posts:

1. FDA Issues Major Birth Defects Warning For Depakote
2. Glaxo Must Pay $2.5 Million In Paxil Birth Defects Case
3. Study: Anti-Depressants Linked To Increased Stroke Risk In Older Women
4. Study: SSRIs Linked To Pre-Term Deliveries
5. Study Finds Preterm Births Linked To SSRI Use