TY - JOUR

T1 - Exposure to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and the risk of congenital malformations

T2 - a nationwide cohort study

AU - Solem, Espen Victor Jimenez

AU - Andersen, Jon Thor Trærup

AU - Petersen, Morten

AU - Brødbæk, Kasper

AU - Jensen, Jonas Krogh

AU - Afzal, Shoaib

AU - Gislason, Gunnar Hilmar

AU - Torp-Pedersen, Christian Tobias

AU - Poulsen, Henrik Enghusen

PY - 2012/6/18

Y1 - 2012/6/18

N2 - Objectives:To analyse the relation between selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) use and major congenital malformations, with focus on malformations of the heart.DESIGN: Register-based retrospective nationwide cohort study, using the Danish Medical Birth Registry.SETTING: Denmark.PARTICIPANTS: Pregnant women in Denmark between 1997 and 2009 and their offspring.PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES: For each SSRI, ORs for major congenital malformations were estimated using multivariable logistic regression models for women exposed to an SSRI during the first trimester and for women with paused exposure during pregnancy.RESULTS: The authors identified 848¿786 pregnancies; 4183 were exposed to an SSRI throughout the first trimester and 806 pregnancies paused exposure during pregnancy. Risks of congenital malformations of the heart were similar for pregnancies exposed to an SSRI throughout the first trimester, adjusted OR 2.01 (95% CI 1.60 to 2.53), and for pregnancies with paused SSRI treatment during pregnancy, adjusted OR 1.85 (95% CI 1.07 to 3.20), p value for difference: 0.94. The authors found similar increased risks of specific congenital malformations of the heart for the individual SSRIs. Furthermore, the authors found no association with dosage.CONCLUSIONS: The apparent association between SSRI use and congenital malformations of the heart may be confounded by indications. The moderate absolute risk increase combined with uncertainty for causality still requires the risk versus benefit to be evaluated in each individual case.

AB - Objectives:To analyse the relation between selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) use and major congenital malformations, with focus on malformations of the heart.DESIGN: Register-based retrospective nationwide cohort study, using the Danish Medical Birth Registry.SETTING: Denmark.PARTICIPANTS: Pregnant women in Denmark between 1997 and 2009 and their offspring.PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES: For each SSRI, ORs for major congenital malformations were estimated using multivariable logistic regression models for women exposed to an SSRI during the first trimester and for women with paused exposure during pregnancy.RESULTS: The authors identified 848¿786 pregnancies; 4183 were exposed to an SSRI throughout the first trimester and 806 pregnancies paused exposure during pregnancy. Risks of congenital malformations of the heart were similar for pregnancies exposed to an SSRI throughout the first trimester, adjusted OR 2.01 (95% CI 1.60 to 2.53), and for pregnancies with paused SSRI treatment during pregnancy, adjusted OR 1.85 (95% CI 1.07 to 3.20), p value for difference: 0.94. The authors found similar increased risks of specific congenital malformations of the heart for the individual SSRIs. Furthermore, the authors found no association with dosage.CONCLUSIONS: The apparent association between SSRI use and congenital malformations of the heart may be confounded by indications. The moderate absolute risk increase combined with uncertainty for causality still requires the risk versus benefit to be evaluated in each individual case.

U2 - 10.1136/bmjopen-2012-001148

DO - 10.1136/bmjopen-2012-001148

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 22710132

VL - 2

JO - BMJ Open

JF - BMJ Open

SN - 2044-6055

IS - 3

ER -