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. 2013 Sep;59(9):941, 943-4.

Antidepressant use during pregnancy: navigating the sea of information

Adrienne Einarson

Antidepressant use during pregnancy: navigating the sea of information

Adrienne Einarson. Can Fam Physician. 2013 Sep.

Abstract
in English, French

Question: When some of my patients who are taking antidepressants learn they are pregnant, they become anxious and confront me with the following statement: "I need this medication, but have heard so many conflicting stories from my friends and on the Internet and in the media that I am not sure if I should continue taking it." How do I advise them, as I have also seen conflicting evidence in the scientific literature?

Answer: To date, antidepressants are the most studied drugs during pregnancy, with more than 30 000 outcomes examining increased risks of adverse effects on exposed infants. The results of the studies can appear to be conflicting owing to differing interpretation of statistical analysis and subsequent knowledge transfer and translation of the information. However, there does not appear to be a clinically significant increased risk of any of the adverse outcomes reported in peer-reviewed published studies that would preclude a woman from taking a needed antidepressant during pregnancy.

Question Lorsque certaines de mes patientes qui prennent des antidépresseurs apprennent qu’elles sont enceintes, elles deviennent anxieuses et me disent ce qui suit: «J’ai besoin de ce médicament, mais j’ai entendu tellement d’histoires contradictoires de mes amis, des médias et sur Internet que je ne suis pas sûre que je devrais continuer à en prendre.» Quels conseils devrais-je leur donner, ayant moi aussi vu des données scientifiques qui se contredisaient?

Réponse À ce jour, les antidépresseurs sont les médicaments les plus étudiés durant la grossesse, notamment chez plus de 30 000 cas où l’on examinait les risques accrus d’effets indésirables pour les nourrissons exposés. Les résultats des études peuvent paraître contradictoires en raison des interprétations différentes des analyses statistiques et, subséquemment, du transfert des connaissances et de la transposition de l’information. Toutefois, il ne semble pas y avoir de risque accru cliniquement significatif de résultats indésirables rapportés dans les études publiées dans des articles révisés par des pairs, qui justifierait qu’une femme cesse de prendre un antidépresseur dont elle a besoin durant sa grossesse.

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