Use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants in pregnancy does carry risks, but the risks are small.

Abstract

The paper by Robinson posits that risks from prenatal exposure to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants are not different from the risks encountered in the general population and that untoward effects of SSRIs are difficult to distinguish from those of the mood disorder. Indeed, maternal depression and anxiety can have negative consequences for fetal and postnatal development. Fortunately, experimental evidence suggests that mood and anxiety disorder symptoms often respond to psychosocial interventions. If pharmacotherapy becomes necessary, it is, however, important to know that even if SSRI drugs have been shown to be safe overall, research has shown that fetal development can be adversely affected by in utero exposure to SSRIs in a subgroup of neonates. Examples would be the transient neonatal adaptation syndrome, an increased risk of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn, and small, albeit measurable, changes in motor and social adaptability in infancy and childhood.