The objective of a study was to examine the risk for persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn associated with antenatal exposure to antidepressants.
Of the 3077 abstracts reviewed, 738 papers were retrieved and seven included. All seven studies were above our quality threshold. Quantitative analysis was only possible for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors ( SSRIs ).
Although exposure to SSRIs in early pregnancy was not associated with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn ( odds ratio 1.23, 95% confidence interval 0.58 to 2.60; P=0.58 ), exposure in late pregnancy was ( 2.50, 1.32 to 4.73; P=0.005 ).