Does antidepressant use during pregnancy prevent complications of untreated depression without significantly increasing the risk of congenital malformations in pregnant women and their fetuses?
SSRIs remain the first-line pharmacological treatment for depression in pregnancy, but require careful risk-benefit assessment and use of the minimal effective dose to mitigate potential teratogenic and neonatal risks.
Over the last few years, several reports on the safety of antidepressants use in pregnancy have been published. Studies concerning the adverse effects of exposure to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) during pregnancy on the developing foetus have indicated an increased risk of various congenital malformations and untoward effects such as poor neonatal adaptation syndrome or persistent pulmonary hypertension, but there still remain inconsistencies between various study results. This paper aims at reviewing the literature on the risks of exposure to antidepressants during pregnancy. SSRIs are generally considered as first-line antidepressant treatment in pregnancy, as they are generally safe and effective. To minimize the teratogenic risks, pregnant women should receive the minimal effective dose of the medication. Depression during pregnancy must not be left untreated, and it should also be remembered that the condition may extend into the postpartum period.
Bałkowiec-Iskra et al. (2017) studied this question.