Safety of SSRIs during pregnancy : a controlled study

OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study was to analyze the efficacy and the safety of SSRIs during pregnancy. METHODS: A group of 30 pregnant women affected by Major Depressive Disorder by SCID I interview (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition Text Revision criteria) and treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) were included in the study. They were matched to a comparison group of 26 pregnant women. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in any of the pregnancy outcomes of interest between the treated women and comparison group. There was no statistically significant association in newborns of women treated with an SSRI and the control group in the first and fifth minute Apgar score, and no newborns were admitted to neonatal Intensive Care Units. CONCLUSIONS: No definitive association between use of SSRIs during pregnancy and an increased risk of birth defects or other adverse outcomes could be found.