Recent case-control study published online on May 31 in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) found that pregnant women who use antidepressants have a 68% increased risk of miscarriage compared with those who do not take the medications. The investigators found that the use of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) paroxetine alone and the serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) venlafaxine alone were also associated with an increased risk for spontaneous abortion.

Data were examined on 5124 women between the ages of 15 and 45 years from the Quebec Pregnancy Registry who had clinically verified miscarriages between the years 1998 and 2003. A total of 10 matched control patients were also randomly selected for each case.

The investigators found that of the women who miscarried, 5.5% (284/5124) had taken antidepressants during their pregnancy compared with 2.7% (of 51,240) of the matched control patients.

After adjusting for potential confounders, “antidepressant use during pregnancy was found to be associated with an increased risk of spontaneous abortion compared to those with no use” the study authors wrote.

In addition, SSRIs used alone, SNRIs used alone, and a mix of antidepressants from different classes used together were also associated with an increased risk for spontaneous miscarriage.

When the investigators compared type of antidepressant used vs not used, they found that paroxetine alone and venlafaxine alone were both significantly linked to an increased risk for miscarriage.

Source: http://cme.medscape.com/viewarticle/723297?src=cmenews&uac=123618HT