Risk of vaginal bleeding and postpartum hemorrhage after use of antidepressants in pregnancy: a study from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study

J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2014 Feb;34(1):143-8. doi: 10.1097/JCP.0000000000000036.

Abstract

This study aimed to examine obstetric bleeding outcomes after exposure during pregnancy to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), tricyclic (TCAs), and other antidepressants (OADs).The Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study and the Medical Birth Registry of Norway constituted the data source for the present study. We included 57,279 pregnant women, of which 1.02% reported use of antidepressants during pregnancy, mostly SSRIs/SNRIs (0.92%). We categorized exposure according to antidepressant use in pregnancy (SSRIs/SNRIs, n = 527; TCAs/OADs, n = 59; nonexposed, nondepressed, n = 55,411) with inclusion of a disease comparison group (nonexposed, depressed, n = 1282). We used logistic regression to estimate adjusted odds ratio (aOR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for vaginal bleeding outcomes in pregnancy and postpartum hemorrhage.Compared with nonexposed subjects, first trimester exposure to SSRIs/SNRIs or TCAs/OADs did not confer any increased risk of vaginal bleeding in early pregnancy (aOR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.72-1.16 and aOR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.36-1.92, respectively). No increased risk for vaginal bleeding in midpregnancy was observed among users of SSRIs/SNRIs (aOR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.50-1.31) or TCAs/OADs (aOR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.26-3.53) in second trimester. Exposure to SSRIs/SNRIs during gestational week 30 to childbirth did not confer any increased risk of postpartum hemorrhage after vaginal (aOR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.47-1.74) or cesarean (aOR, 1.47; 95% CI, 0.51-4.22) delivery. Women in the disease comparison group presented a significant moderate increased risk of vaginal bleeding in early pregnancy (aOR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.06-1.39) and midpregnancy (aOR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.07-1.55) but not postpartum.Among this Norwegian cohort of pregnant women, use of antidepressants in pregnancy was not associated with any obstetrical bleeding outcome.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors / adverse effects
  • Antidepressive Agents / adverse effects*
  • Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / adverse effects
  • Chi-Square Distribution
  • Depression / diagnosis
  • Depression / drug therapy*
  • Depression / psychology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Logistic Models
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Norway
  • Odds Ratio
  • Postpartum Hemorrhage / chemically induced*
  • Postpartum Hemorrhage / diagnosis
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Complications / diagnosis
  • Pregnancy Complications / drug therapy*
  • Pregnancy Complications / psychology
  • Pregnancy Trimesters
  • Prospective Studies
  • Registries
  • Risk Assessment
  • Risk Factors
  • Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / adverse effects
  • Uterine Hemorrhage / chemically induced*
  • Uterine Hemorrhage / diagnosis

Substances

  • Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors
  • Antidepressive Agents
  • Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic
  • Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors