Common Antidepressants Too Risky During Pregnancy, Researchers Say

"What I don't want to do is scare the heck out of women who are pregnant and have severe depression," Domar said. "I'm not suggesting that someone who is suicidal stop taking antidepressants cold turkey. You have to look at the individual risk-benefit ratio. In that case [suicidality], the risk of harm to her and her baby is far higher than the risk posed by an SSRI. For those with mild or moderate depression, the ratio shifts the other direction," she noted.

And, Urato added, "We're not saying women should not take SSRIs. The goal is to give them information so they can make the right decision for them."

SOURCES: Adam Urato, M.D., chairman, obstetrics and gynecology, MetroWest Medical Center and maternal-fetal medicine specialist, Tufts Medical Center, Boston; Alice Domar, Ph.D., executive director, Domar Center for Mind/Body Health, Boston IVF; Beatriz Currier, M.D., associate professor, psychiatry and behavioral sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine; Oct. 31, 2012, Human Reproduction, online

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Published: October 2012