(Press-News.org) Contact information: Emma Dickinson
edickinson@bmj.com
44-020-738-36529
BMJ-British Medical Journal
Risk of transient breathing difficulties in newborns of mothers on antidepressants
Risk is still low, but women should be counselled about the condition
	
	Infants of expectant mothers who take antidepressant drugs, known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), during late pregnancy are at an increased risk for persistent pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the lungs) finds a study published on bmj.com today. 
	The authors stress that the risk is still low even in the context of SSRI exposure, but say pregnant women considering or using SSRIs and their families should be counselled about the condition and that it can typically be managed successfully if it does occur following SSRI exposure. 
	Decisions about treatment for depression during pregnancy must consider potential risks to both the mother and the unborn baby. One potential adverse effect is persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) – high blood pressure in the lungs following birth leading to breathing difficulties. It is a rare condition, but can be severe when associated with other conditions.
	Results from previous studies investigating a possible link between SSRI use in pregnancy and PPHN have been mixed, so researchers in Canada set out to summarise the data and help resolve these conflicting findings for clinicians.
	They examined the results of seven studies reporting PPHN with antidepressant use during pregnancy. Analysis was only possible for SSRIs, due to a lack of data on other classes of antidepressants.
	Differences in study design and quality – and several known risk factors for PPHN - were taken into account.
	The results suggest a small but significantly increased risk for PPHN in infants exposed to SSRIs during late pregnancy. There was no evidence of an increased risk with exposure during early pregnancy.
	However, the authors stress that the risk of PPHN remains low (is typically around two births per 1,000) and they estimate that 286 to 351 women would need to be treated with an SSRI in late pregnancy to see one additional case of PPHN.
	To our knowledge, this is the first published meta-analysis to examine SSRI exposure and PPHN, say the authors.
	Future research should determine if other classes of antidepressants show similar associations – and whether risk factors such as caesarean section, obesity, and preterm delivery, may also have an impact - in addition to the potential effects of clinical depression.  They conclude depression during pregnancy must not be left untreated.
### END
Risk of transient breathing difficulties in newborns of mothers on antidepressants
Risk is still low, but women should be counselled about the condition
2014-01-15
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Researchers suggest risk of cervical or vaginal cancer higher in women previously treated for pre-cancerous cells on cervix
2014-01-15
Researchers suggest risk of cervical or vaginal cancer higher in women previously treated for pre-cancerous cells on cervix
But researchers say that the overall risk is still low
	
	Women previously treated for abnormal cells on the cervix (CIN3 or cervical ...
Study indicates the potential of new tests in long-term diabetes complications
2014-01-15
Study indicates the potential of new tests in long-term diabetes complications
	Monitoring glucose levels is imperative for diabetes patients, but for some the standard Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) test is not valid. Researchers from Johns ...
Vanderbilt study reveals senses of sight and sound separated in children with autism
2014-01-15
Vanderbilt study reveals senses of sight and sound separated in children with autism
Like watching a foreign movie that was badly dubbed, children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have trouble integrating simultaneous information from their ...
Screening helps prevent cervical cancer in older women
2014-01-15
Screening helps prevent cervical cancer in older women
	New research from Queen Mary University of London reveals women over the age of 50 who don't attend cervical screening are four times more likely to be diagnosed with cervical cancer in later ...
World's tiniest drug cabinets could be attached to cancerous cells for long term treatment
2014-01-15
World's tiniest drug cabinets could be attached to cancerous cells for long term treatment
Novel method for slow release drugs
	As if being sick weren't bad enough, there's also the fear of frequent injections, side effects and overdosing on you medication. Now a team of ...
Microbes swap for tiny goods in minuscule markets, researchers find
2014-01-15
Microbes swap for tiny goods in minuscule markets, researchers find
A closer look at microbes reveals there is big business going on in their very small world, and sometimes we are part of the transaction. 
	An international team of researchers, including ...
NASA sees Tropical Cyclone Colin coming 'unwound'
2014-01-15
NASA sees Tropical Cyclone Colin coming 'unwound'
Tropical Cyclone Colin is not as tightly wrapped as it was a day ago. Satellite imagery from NASA's Aqua and TRMM satellites show Colin is not as organized as it was, and most of the strongest precipitation was occurring ...
New patent mapping system helps find innovation pathways
2014-01-15
New patent mapping system helps find innovation pathways
	What's likely to be the "next big thing?" What might be the most fertile areas for innovation? Where should countries and companies invest their limited research funds? What technology areas are a company's ...
Top scientists ask UN leaders to act on nuclear weapons, climate change
2014-01-15
Top scientists ask UN leaders to act on nuclear weapons, climate change
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: It is still 5 minutes to midnight and much too close to doomsday
The Science and Security Board of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists today called on the ...
Bacterial 'syringe' necessary for marine animal development
2014-01-15
Bacterial 'syringe' necessary for marine animal development
If you've ever slipped on a slimy wet rock at the beach, you have bacteria to thank. Those bacteria, nestled in a supportive extracellular matrix, form bacterial biofilms—often slimy substances ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Unlocking the brain’s hidden drainage system
Enhancing smoking cessation treatment for people living with HIV
Research spotlight: Mapping how gut neurons respond to bacteria, parasites and food allergy
Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Experimental Physics Investigators awards to UCSB experimentalists opens the door to new insights and innovations
Meerkats get health benefit from mob membership
COVID-19 during pregnancy linked to higher risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in children
How a chorus of synchronized frequencies helps you digest your food
UAlbany researcher partners on $1.2 million NSF grant to explore tropical monsoon rainfall patterns
Checkup time for Fido? Wait might be longer in the country
Genetic variation impact scores: A new tool for earlier heart disease detection
The Lundquist Institute awarded $9 million to launch Community Center of Excellence for Regenerative Medicine
'Really bizarre and exciting': The quantum oscillations are coming from inside
Is AI becoming selfish?
New molten salt method gives old lithium batteries a second life
Leg, foot amputations increased 65% in Illinois hospitals between 2016-2023
Moffitt studies uncover complementary strategies to overcome resistance to KRAS G12Cinhibitors in lung cancer
National summit of experts charts unprecedented roadmap to reduce harms from firearms in new ways
Global environmental DNA (eDNA) surveys significantly expand known geographic and ecological niche ranges of marine fish, highlighting current biases in conservation and ecological modeling
Hundreds of animal studies on brain damage after stroke flagged for problematic images
Prize winner’s research reveals how complex neural circuits are correctly wired during brain development
Supershear rupture sustained in thick fault zone during 2025 Mandalay earthquake, study in research package shows
Study reveals how brain cell networks stabilize memory formation
CTE: More than just head trauma, suggests new study
New psychology study suggests chimpanzees might be rational thinkers
Study links genetic variants to higher 'bad' cholesterol and heart attack risk
Myanmar fault had ideal geometry to produce 2025 supershear earthquake
Breakthrough in BRCA2 research: a novel mechanism behind chemoresistance discovered
New funding for health economics research on substance use disorder treatments
Tying protein to fraying DNA solves mystery of illness for patients around the world
MD Anderson shares latest research breakthroughs
[Press-News.org] Risk of transient breathing difficulties in newborns of mothers on antidepressantsRisk is still low, but women should be counselled about the condition