A new study published in The BMJ has found that pregnant women who take antidepressants are more likely to develop gestational diabetes.
Researchers from the University of Montreal collected data from all pregnancies and babies within Quebec, Canada, between January 1998 and December 2015.
They identified the use of antidepressants among women from the first day of their last menstrual period to the date on which they received the diagnosed of gestational diabetes. They also found that gestational diabetes occurred after 20th week of pregnancy.
The study found that more than four percent of women had exposure to certain antidepressant drugs. Overall, the researchers note that the usage of antidepressants during pregnancy has an association with an increased risk of gestational diabetes.
The researchers found that the risk was high among women who took antidepressants such as venlafaxine (serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor) and amitriptyline (tricyclic antidepressant),
The study authors wrote, “The treatment of depression during pregnancy is a major concern and is challenging because depression is prevalent before and during pregnancy, and untreated depression can lead to relapse during pregnancy and in the postpartum period.” “Hence, adverse outcomes associated with antidepressant use during pregnancy, including gestational diabetes, should be weighed against the consequences of nonmedicated depression, especially for women with severe depression,” they added.
