Pregnant Women Taking Antidepressants May be Prone to Miscarriage

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A new study from the University of Montreal published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal suggests that pregnant women taking antidepressants may be prone to miscarriages. The studies, the first of its kind to delineate certain antidepressants in particular, noted that Paxil and Effexor are associated with the greatest risk of miscarriage.
According to TIME Magazine, “The study included 69,742 women from the registry, 5,124 of whom had had a clinically recorded miscarriage. Among the women who had miscarried, 5.5% had filled at least one prescription for an antidepressant during pregnancy, compared with 2.7% of the control group. Researchers calculated that antidepressant users had a 68% higher risk of miscarriage than nonusers, after controlling for other influences that could potentially confound the association.”
The study does not suggest pregnant women suffering from depression abandon pharmaceutical therapy. However, it does offer more data for obstetricians to consider when treating pregnant women who present with depressive symptoms.

Eva Bleich
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