Should we stop using tricyclic antidepressants in pregnancy?

Abstract

A new Swedish study by Reis & Kllén describes approximately 15 000 women (and their babies) that, between 1995 and 2007, reported the use of antidepressants, or were prescribed such drugs, during pregnancy. In this study, pregnancy and teratogenic outcomes after exposure to tricyclic antidepressants are, for most measures, equal or worse than after exposure to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or other antidepressants. Based on this and on a review of the few other studies available (admittedly, a relatively small number of women on which conclusions can be based), the authors of this Editorial challenge the perinatal myth that tricyclics are the safest choice in pregnancy. © 2010 Cambridge University Press.