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I found this:
Zoloft and Pregnancy
Q. I am a 40-year-old mother of two. A year ago I began taking Zoloft 150 mg per day. This medication has been a miracle for me. I am considering having another child and wonder if any studies have been done on the effects of Zoloft on the fetus/mother/pregnancy.
A. There is unfortunately very little known about the effects of sertraline [Zoloft] in human pregnancy. The standard medical advice is to avoid any medication, if possible, during the first three months of pregnancy, since this is the period of greatest organ development in the developing fetus. After the first trimester, most antidepressants would pose very little risk to the fetus or mother, and what little risk there is must be carefully weighed against the risk of recurrent major depression.
The makers of Zoloft cite studies on animals in their product information, but, frankly, I doubt this is of great use to potential human mothers. It may be more useful to look at a study of a closely related (though not identical) antidepressant, Prozac [fluoxetine], which has been studied in pregnant women taking this agent during the first trimester. The study (by Pastuszak et al, JAMA, 1993) found no evidence of teratogenicity (birth defects) in the pregnant women taking Prozac, compared to a control group. There was a trend toward a higher miscarriage rate among those taking Prozac, but the risk was relatively small. Depression itself can also increase the risk of miscarriage. If these results are comparable to those with Zoloft, the risk of using either medication during pregnancy would be very small--but as yet, we don't know. I would discuss the risks and benefits very carefully with your psychiatrist and obstetrician, and go from there.
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07-07-2003, 01:54 PM
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