The risks associated with prenatal antidepressant exposure: time for a precision medicine approach

The prevalence of depression in pregnancy is over 10% and a significant proportion of pregnant women use antidepressant medication. The safety of antidepressants in pregnancy is controversial, partly due to methodological challenges. The conflicting results in the literature may, however, also be due to differences in risks between the study populations related to variations in e.g. degree of depression, type of antidepressant, and lifestyle. Areas covered: The literature on the safety of antidepressants in pregnancy is vast and thousands of papers have been published mainly in the last decades. This paper summarizes the evidence on important outcomes, including malformations, obstetric and neonatal outcomes, and long-term effects. It further describes results indicating that genetic variations in e.g. metabolism need to be taken into account. Expert opinion: Use of antidepressants during pregnancy must balance between the risks related to the underlying disease and the risks of antidepressant use. This balance needs to include information on a number of factors, including degree of depression and life-style. More data are required on how to include genetic information in the counseling. Overall, emerging evidence points to the need for a precision medicine approach to the treatment of pregnant women with depression.