Use of antidepressants and association with elective termination of pregnancy: population based case-control study

To assess whether the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), tricyclic antidepressants, mirtazapine, venlafaxine or other antidepressants is associated with late elective termination of pregnancy.

Case-control study using data from national registers.

Denmark, Finland, and Norway during the period 1996-2007.

A total of 14,902 women were included as cases and 148,929 women were included as controls.

Cases were women with elective termination of pregnancy at 12-23 weeks of gestation. Controls continued their pregnancy and were matched with cases on key factors.

Association between antidepressant use during pregnancy and elective termination of pregnancy at 12-23 weeks of gestation for fetal anomalies, or for maternal ill health or socio-economic disadvantage.

At least one prescription of antidepressants was filled by 3.7% of the cases and 2.2% of the controls. Use of any type of antidepressant was associated with elective termination of pregnancy for maternal ill health or socio-economic disadvantage (odds ratio, OR 2.3; 95% confidence interval, 95% CI 2.0-2.5). Elective termination of pregnancy for fetal anomalies was associated with the use of mirtazapine (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.1-4.5). There was no association between the use of any of the other antidepressants and elective termination of pregnancy for fetal anomalies.

The use of any type of antidepressants was associated with elective termination of pregnancy at 12-23 weeks for maternal ill health or socio-economic disadvantage, but not with terminations for fetal anomalies. Further studies need to confirm the findings concerning mirtazapine and termination of pregnancy for fetal anomalies.