Are Antidepressants Safe During Pregnancy?

When you become pregnant and have been on antidepressants, it turns into a difficult decision. Do you stop taking antidepressants or continue? Depression, especially when left untreated, can harm not only the mother but the baby as well. However, antidepressants aren’t healthy for the baby either, taking them can increase the risk of complications during pregnancy. 

There are several things that need to be taken into consideration, such as your own health, the health of the unborn baby, but also the well-being of the entire family. This includes other children that you may have. This is a decision that needs to be made after discussing with your health care providers, both psychiatrist and gynecologist. Only after discussing with your health care providers can you decide the advantages and disadvantages of continuing or stopping the use of antidepressants.    

There are many women who suffer from depression and they need antidepressants to deal with their symptoms. In the past, it was believed that pregnancy naturally protects against depression, however, scientists today have realized that this is not necessarily true. Therefore, there are more and more women who do take antidepressants while they are pregnant, as this is the only way for them to manage their symptoms. 

A study that was done for seven years in a row, detected that 1 out of every 20 women has used antidepressants prior to getting pregnant or during pregnancy. The safety of antidepressants has always been questionable, however, recent research has shown that most antidepressants, such as the SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) and older antidepressants are generally safe. They do increase the risk of birth defects and other complications, but this risk is very low.  

What do health care providers say about antidepressants and pregnancy?  

Psychiatrists as well as gynecologists in Queens both agree that you should stop using antidepressants when your symptoms have been mild and you’ve been symptom-free for at least six months. You will still need supervision before getting pregnant, and while you are pregnant to make sure that you remain symptom-free. You might get psychotherapy and your doctors might advise you on other lifestyle measures, which should all help you manage your depression. There are some things that you can do to manage depression during pregnancy without the use of antidepressants. These include exercising more, spending more time outside, minimizing your stress, practicing yoga or meditation, and regularly speaking to your therapist.  

In other cases, it is considered much safer to continue the use of antidepressants than to stop using them. This is true if you have ever been suicidal, if you have other mental illnesses like bipolar disorder, or if you have severe and reoccurring depression.  

When depression is left untreated 

Some women, scared because of the effects of antidepressants on the baby, simply stop using them. However, depression that is left untreated can have worse effects on you and your baby than continuing your medication. It is known that depressed women are more likely to not take care of themselves. For example, they would skip doctor’s appointments or they won’t eat a healthy diet. There is also a greater risk of partaking in damaging behavior such as smoking, drinking alcohol, or taking drugs while being pregnant. 

These kinds of behavior can increase the risk of a miscarriage, preterm birth, and a low birth weight. Untreated depression can also affect your family in general. If you have other children, this might affect your relationship with them, or with your spouse. If you notice that depression is stopping you from taking care of your family and children the way they need you to, you should discuss with your physician about continuing the use of antidepressants.   

The risks of antidepressants during a pregnancy  

Only some antidepressants are considered to be safe for use while pregnant. Research has shown that the effects of antidepressants on a fetus are inconclusive and mixed. One particular antidepressant might cause one type of risk, while another antidepressant might not cause the same risk at all. The risks are also different depending on the time when in pregnancy they are taken. Nonetheless, all the risks that were found were at low rates according to researchers. Some of the reported risks include:  

• An increased risk of a miscarriage 
• Birth defects, such as anencephaly, craniosynostosis, omphalocele and limb malformation 
• An increased risk of preterm birth 
• Low birth weight 
• Miscarriage 
• Heart defects 
• Persistent pulmonary hypertension in newborns, a condition that affects the blood vessels of the lungs 
• Low Apgar scores  

Additionally, babies in the womb who are exposed to antidepressants might experience withdrawal symptoms such as breathing problems, irritability, jitteriness, trouble feeding, poor tone, and low blood sugar. 

Due to these risks, some babies are required to stay in the neonatal intensive care unit after birth for one to four days. These symptoms usually don’t cause any long-term effects on the baby, which is also something most women are worried about. However, it is still not entirely known what kind of long-term effects antidepressants might have on the baby. The studies that were done so far, have shown that there isn’t any significant difference when it comes to the IQ of the baby, mood, its behavior, its attention or activity level when compared to other children who weren’t exposed to antidepressants while in the womb.   

The conclusion  

Although the risks of antidepressants are very low, no mother wants to expose her baby to medicine that might harm her. Making the decision of whether to take or to stop using antidepressants in pregnancy isn’t necessarily easy. There is no general right answer that applies to all women. It is, therefore, crucial to discuss this decision with your psychiatrist and gynecologist. They can better evaluate your individual situation and advise you on whether you are able to manage the symptoms without the antidepressants. If you regularly consult your health care providers, you’re already making sure that you’re making the right decision.