Antidepressants in pregnancy link to condition

Antidepressants in pregnancy ‘may raise risk of fatal condition’ in unborn child

The use of antidepressants by mothers during late pregnancy may be associated with a small increased risk of their baby developing a potentially fatal condition that makes it difficult for their heart to pump blood through their arteries, research shows.

Around two in every 1,000 newborn babies are affected by persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn in the UK, which occurs when a newborn’s circulation system in its lungs does not adapt to breathing outside of the womb.