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Updated: May 28, 2026

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Prenatal Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor Exposure and Its Impact on Neonatal Gastrointestinal and Urinary

Ronella Marom1,2, Laurence Mangel1, Addy S BrandStetter1,2

  • 1Department of Neonatology, Dana Dwek Children's Hospital, Tel Aviv Sourasky University Medical Center, Tel Aviv 6423906, Israel.

Children (Basel, Switzerland)
|May 27, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Prenatal exposure to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) was linked to earlier first stooling in newborns. This study found no significant difference in the time to first voiding, suggesting a potential impact on neonatal gastrointestinal adaptation.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal adaptation
  • Perinatal pharmacology
  • Gastrointestinal physiology

Background:

  • Selective serotonin reuptuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are commonly prescribed during pregnancy.
  • Prenatal SSRI exposure has been linked to altered neonatal adaptation.
  • The effect of prenatal SSRI exposure on early neonatal elimination patterns is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between maternal SSRI use during pregnancy and the time to first stool and first void in healthy neonates.
  • To evaluate the impact of in utero SSRI exposure on early gastrointestinal and urinary function.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective matched cohort study design.
  • 133 SSRI-exposed neonates were matched 1:1 with unexposed controls based on gestational age and weight.
  • Multivariable linear regression was used to analyze time to first stool, adjusting for relevant covariates.

Main Results:

  • SSRI-exposed neonates had a significantly shorter time to first stool compared to unexposed neonates (median 7.4 vs. 8.6 hours, p=0.023).
  • Time to first void did not differ between the groups.
  • Adjusted analysis indicated an approximate 17% reduction in time to first stool with SSRI exposure (p=0.035).

Conclusions:

  • Prenatal SSRI exposure is associated with a modest but consistent reduction in the time to first neonatal stool.
  • No significant effect was observed on the time to first neonatal void.
  • These findings suggest a potential influence of in utero SSRI exposure on early neonatal gastrointestinal adaptation.
Abstract

Keywords:
gastrointestinal systemneonatespoor neonatal adaptation syndromeselective serotonin reuptake inhibitorurinary system

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