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No Link Found Between Antidepressants And Birth Defects, According To New Study

Date:
May 23, 2008
Source:
University of Montreal
Summary:
Expectant mothers can safely use prescribed antidepressants during their first trimester, according to a new study in the British Journal of Psychiatry. Researchers found that antidepressants had no effect on fetal development.
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Expectant mothers can safely use prescribed antidepressants during their first trimester, according to a new study from the Université de Montréal and Ste. Justine Hospital published in the May edition of the British Journal of Psychiatry.

Dr. Anick Bérard and her team found that antidepressants have no effect on foetal development. "This is the first study to investigate the impact of antidepressant use during the first trimester of pregnancy in mothers with psychiatric disorders," she said. "In terms of birth malformations in this population, we found no difference between women who used antidepressants and those who did not use antidepressants during their first trimester."

The research team used data from the Quebec Pregnancy Registry, established by their group, to analyze the records of 2,329 new mothers diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder and treated with antidepressants for at least 30 days before pregnancy. Also included in the registry were women who delivered liveborn and stillborn children, while birth defects were considered anything from facial malformations to heart anomalies.

"The duration of antidepressant use in the first trimester of pregnancy was not associated with an increased risk of birth malformations," explained Dr. Bérard. "We hope these findings help clinicians and women decide whether to continue antidepressant therapy during pregnancy."

This study was supported by the Fonds de la Recherche en Santé du Québec (FRSQ), the Réseau Québécois de Recherche sur l'Usage des Médicaments and the Network for the Wellbeing of Children.


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Materials provided by University of Montreal. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Cite This Page:

University of Montreal. "No Link Found Between Antidepressants And Birth Defects, According To New Study." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 23 May 2008. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080522102431.htm>.
University of Montreal. (2008, May 23). No Link Found Between Antidepressants And Birth Defects, According To New Study. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 28, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080522102431.htm
University of Montreal. "No Link Found Between Antidepressants And Birth Defects, According To New Study." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080522102431.htm (accessed March 28, 2024).

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