Anti-depressants and miscarriage

Research just published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal* reports a link between the use of anti-depressants and increased miscarriage risk.  The effect differs depending on which anti-depressant (or combination of anti-depressants) is used. 

It’s not advisable for pregnant women who are using anti-depressants simply to stop taking their medication, but if you’re concerned this may be relevant to you, you might want to consult your doctor.  In the meantime, we look forward to more research in this area.

 

Key points:

1. The researchers compared two groups of women:  5,124 women who miscarried in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy (called cases) and 51,240 women who didn't miscarry (called controls).  The women were of similar age, ethnicity and socio-economic group.

2. Overall, 5.5% of the cases (those who miscarried) used anti-depressants compared with 3.7% of the controls (those who didn’t miscarry) – a significant difference.

3. Results differed depending on which anti-depressant was used, but although the study was a large one, the numbers of women taking each different kind of antidepressant was small (between 5 and 84 women depending on the antidepressant).

4. The researchers acknowledge that there are several other factors to consider, including the fact that depression itself is linked to a slightly higher risk of miscarriage.  They advise that women and their doctors should talk through the risks and benefits of anti-depressant medication before making decisions about prescribing or changing it.

 

*   “Use of antidepressants during pregnancy and the risk of spontaneous abortion”, Hamid Reza Nakhai-Pour MD PhD, Perrine Broy BSc, Anick Bérard PhD.  CMAJ 2010. DOI:10.1503/cmaj.091208