A study by University of North Carolina suggests that women taking certain types of antidepressants have more chances of delivering babies with brain malformations.
Researchers explained that antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) result in Chiari type 1 malformations in infants.
A Chiari type 1 malformation is a condition in which brain tissue in the cerebellum (a part of the brain that controls balance, motor systems, and some cognitive functions) extends into the spinal canal. Nearly 5 percent of children have this condition. Researchers explained that most babies do not have any problems due to the condition, but some develop symptoms such as headache and balance problems. In severe cases surgery may be necessary.
Researchers found that 18 percent of the children whose mothers took SSRIs during pregnancy had the condition compared to 3 percent with mothers who did not have a history of depression.
Further, the researchers said that the rate of Chiari type 1 malformations was highest in children whose mothers reported a family history of depression in addition to treatment with SSRIs during pregnancy. This particular finding suggests the importance of genetic history as well in the malformation.
"Our results can be interpreted two ways," said Rebecca Knickmeyer, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry in the UNC School of Medicine and lead author of the study, in the press release. "Either SSRIs increase risk for Chiari type 1 malformations, or other factors associated with SSRI treatment during pregnancy, such as severity of depression itself, increase risk. Additional research into the effects of depression during pregnancy, with and without antidepressant treatment is urgently needed."
"These results raise many interesting questions, and there are many things we still don't know," said study co-author Samantha Meltzer-Brody, MD, MPH, associate professor of psychiatry in the UNC School of Medicine and director of UNC's Perinatal Psychiatry Program, in the press release.
She further said that untreated depression can be harmful to women and their babies, and it is advisable for the pregnant women undergoing depression treatment to continue with their treatment.
Researchers said that following the study results doctors should refrain from changing their prescribing practices based on the results of the study.
The study has been published in the journal 'Neuropsychopharmacology'.
