Traitement par inhibiteurs sélectifs de la recapture de la sérotonine de la dépression chez la femme enceinte : risques pour le fœtus et le nouveau-né

Although a number of studies revealed that SSRIs are not teratogenic, some of them showed congenital malformations associated with use of these antidepressants; in particular an increased risk of cardiac defects with paroxetin. In practice, the potential risk implies that the decision to treat a pregnant woman with SSRIs (notably paroxetin) should be taken carefully; this means double-checking the diagnosis, the potential benefits, adverse effects and possible alternatives. Neonatal toxicity seems to be relatively frequent when SSRIs are prescribed during late pregnancy. For all depressed pregnant women, the severity of the depression must be taken into consideration before introducing a pharmacological treatment. When depressive women are already treated, studies have shown that antidepressants must be maintained during pregnancy to prevent relapse and suicide attempts.