Clinical Scorecard: Neonatal Health Outcomes Associated with Prenatal Use of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors

At a Glance

Key Highlights

• Approximately 26% of women will experience depression over their lifetime.
• SSRIs are commonly prescribed as first-line treatment for depression.
• The study utilized a target trial framework to assess neonatal outcomes.
• Data were sourced from the Mom-Baby Dyad Database linking EHRs of mothers and newborns.
• The study included 77,813 mother-baby dyads from 2006 to 2022.

Guideline-Based Recommendations

Diagnosis

• Assess maternal mental health and consider SSRI use during pregnancy.

Management

• Monitor neonatal outcomes in infants exposed to SSRIs in utero.

Monitoring & Follow-up

• Evaluate potential adverse effects on neonatal health following SSRI exposure.

Risks

• Potential for adverse neonatal health outcomes associated with prenatal SSRI exposure.

Patient & Prescribing Data

Pregnant women on SSRIs during the 2 years before estimated date of conception.

Continuing SSRIs during pregnancy may have implications for neonatal health.

Clinical Best Practices

• Utilize rigorous study designs to evaluate medication safety during pregnancy.
• Emulate traditional drug safety trials using observational data to mitigate biases.

Related Resources & Content

• Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE)