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. 2020 Apr;40(4):640-645.
doi: 10.1038/s41372-019-0564-x. Epub 2019 Nov 25.

Prenatal selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and therapeutic hypothermia for suspected hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy

Dayna T Neo  1 , Emily Nuss  2 , Michele R Hacker  1   3   4 , Brianne Mahoney  1 , Heather H Burris  5   6   7
Affiliations

Prenatal selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and therapeutic hypothermia for suspected hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy

Dayna T Neo et al. J Perinatol. 2020 Apr.

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the association between prenatal selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) exposure and postnatal therapeutic hypothermia for suspected hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy.

Study design: Matched case-control study of singleton deliveries at a tertiary hospital from 2010 to 2016. Cases were infants treated with therapeutic hypothermia for suspected hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. Controls were noncase infants, matched on gestational age, maternal age, obstetric provider group, and hospital shift.

Result: Prenatal SSRI exposure occurred in 18.4% of cases compared with 4.1% of controls (aOR: 5.9, 95% CI: 1.8-19.7). Among all cases, 36.8% had evidence of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy on postnatal MRI. In addition, 28.6% of SSRI-exposed cases and 38.7% of SSRI-unexposed cases had MRI confirmation of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, respectively.

Conclusion: Future research to disentangle signs of SSRI exposure from true hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy may facilitate targeting therapeutic hypothermia stewardship toward infants more likely to benefit.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: The authors have indicated they have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose.

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