Birth weight and preterm birth in babies of pregnant women with major depression in relation to treatment with antidepressants.

OBJECTIVE: It is unclear whether antidepressant treatment has a preventive effect on negative neonatal outcomes due to major depression in pregnant women. The objective of the present study was to compare women with major depression treated with antidepressants, untreated women with major depression, and healthy women during pregnancy with respect to birth weight and preterm birth. METHODS: The study sample included a total of 23 women taking antidepressant medication, 36 women who were not taking antidepressant medication for major depression during pregnancy, and 30 healthy women. Major depression was diagnosed via the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition. RESULTS: The study groups were similar with respect to sociodemographic characteristics. Compared with infants of healthy control subjects, infants of untreated major depressed women had significantly lower birth weight and shorter gestational age at delivery. There is no significant difference between infants of major depressed women treated with antidepressants and infants of healthy subjects for these variables. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that antidepressants may have beneficial effects on the risk of low birth weight and preterm birth in the infants of depressed women.