Effects of third trimester fluoxetine exposure on the newborn

Prospectively identified fluoxetine-exposed pregnancies were evaluated to determine whether fluoxetine, a serotonin reuptake inhibitor commonly used for the treatment of depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder, might be associated with neonatal complications after maternal fluoxetine exposure during the third trimester through delivery. The outcomes of all prospectively identified, spontaneously reported pregnancies with confirmed fluoxetine exposure during the third trimester through delivery were evaluated. Postnatal complications unrelated to malformations were reported in 15 of the 112 identified pregnancies (115 infants), but there was neither a consistent or recurring pattern nor a dose relationship. On the basis of this survey and comparison with reported rates from the National Hospital Discharge Survey, it is unlikely that maternal fluoxetine use during the third trimester results in significant postnatal complications.