SSRIs: Antidepressants are linked to birth abnormalities

Pregnant women who are taking an SSRI antidepressant such as Prozac double the risk of their baby being born with a congenital abnormality, a new study suggests.

The most dangerous time is during the second and third months of pregnancy. The risk is virtually non-existent among women who are prescribed an SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) late on in the pregnancy, the researchers found.

This is a further blow to a class of drugs that is suspected of causing suicidal tendencies in patients, and, paradoxically, making their depression worse.