Can i take fluoxetine whilst pregnant

The available information suggests that even if taking fluoxetine during early pregnancy increases the risk of having a baby with a heart defect, nearly all women who take fluoxetine will have a baby with a normal heart. For example, one large study that analysed the data from many of the different studies described above, found that fewer than two in every women who took fluoxetine in pregnancy had a baby with a heart defect.

In other words, 98 out of babies did not have a heart defect. Heart defects have also been shown to occur slightly more frequently in babies of mothers who took SSRIs other than fluoxetine in the first trimester of pregnancy.

Other birth defects A small number of studies have suggested possible links between taking fluoxetine in early pregnancy and other specific birth defects malformations. However, these studies detailed below do not provide enough evidence to prove that fluoxetine causes any of these birth defects :. No other studies have investigated the likelihood of renal dysplasia in babies exposed in the womb to fluoxetine.

More research is needed to assess whether taking fluoxetine in pregnancy increases the chance of birth defects in the baby.

No increased risk of miscarriage was shown in any of the five studies of women who took fluoxetine in pregnancy which investigated this.

There is no strong evidence that taking fluoxetine during pregnancy causes a woman to give birth early before 37 weeks of pregnancy. While one study showed that women who took fluoxetine after week 25 of pregnancy were at increased risk of having a pre-term birth, three further studies showed no link between fluoxetine use in pregnancy and premature delivery. Although a number of studies of women taking any SSRI during pregnancy have shown links with premature delivery, we do not know how this relates to women specifically taking fluoxetine.

It is also thought that other factors, including other medicines used by the mother and the effect of the medical conditions that women were taking SSRIs to treat, may explain why more of these women gave birth early. It is therefore still not clear whether SSRI use in pregnancy causes preterm birth. Three studies have all suggested that there may be a link between taking fluoxetine during pregnancy and the baby being slightly smaller at birth.

However, most studies which have analysed information from pregnant women taking any SSRI do not show a link with having a smaller baby. No increased risk of stillbirth was seen in any of the four studies which investigated this. However because only small numbers of women have been studied, more information needs to be collected on this subject. Studies have shown that babies who were exposed to any SSRI in the womb may suffer from neonatal withdrawal.

A small number of studies which analysed information for fluoxetine separately showed that babies whose mothers took fluoxetine around the time of delivery may also suffer from neonatal withdrawal. Close monitoring of your baby for a few days after birth may be advised if you have taken fluoxetine regularly in the weeks before delivery.

PPHN only affects around 1 or 2 out of every newborn babies but can be serious. A number of studies have been carried out to look at whether there is an increased risk of learning and behavioural problems including autism spectrum disorder ASD and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD in children who were exposed to fluoxetine and other SSRIs while in the womb.

None of the four studies that specifically examined children of women who took fluoxetine during pregnancy showed an increased risk of learning and behavioural problems. However, because only a small number of children were studied, and because the children were only assessed up to a maximum of six years of age, it is not yet possible to say for certain that fluoxetine does not affect learning or behaviour.

Many more studies have looked at the development, behaviour, and learning of groups of children whose mothers took any of the SSRIs during pregnancy. These studies are summarised below:. A small number of studies did not find a greater chance for miscarriage when fluoxetine was used in pregnancy. This is called the background risk. Fluoxetine use is unlikely to increase the chance for birth defects.

There have been many studies looking at fluoxetine and pregnancy. There are reports on over 10, pregnancies exposed to fluoxetine in the first trimester. The first trimester is the time in pregnancy when major birth defects can happen. No pattern of birth defects has been found and most studies have not found an increased chance for birth defects related to fluoxetine use.

Some studies have suggested an increased chance for heart defects or other birth defects. However, taking all the studies together, there is no proven risk for birth defects directly related to fluoxetine.

Some complications have been reported more often if fluoxetine was used throughout the third trimester. Some studies saw a higher chance for preterm delivery delivery before 37 weeks of pregnancy. Some studies also found babies to be a little more likely to have lower birthweight when fluoxetine was used throughout the third trimester. In some of the studies these complications were seen more often when the dose used during pregnancy was high.

Babies born early or with very low birthweight can develop health problems more easily than babies born at full term and have normal weight. Research has also shown that when depression is left untreated during pregnancy, there could be an increased chance for pregnancy complications.

This makes it hard to know if it is the medication, untreated depression or anxiety , or other factors that may be increasing the chance for these complications. Studies also do not agree if fluoxetine use in the second half of pregnancy might increase the chance for a serious lung problem in the baby at birth pulmonary hypertension.

I need to take fluoxetine throughout my entire pregnancy. Will it cause withdrawal symptoms in my baby after birth? Some medications taken during pregnancy can cause symptoms in a newborn after delivery. If you take fluoxetine through the third trimester, your baby could show some symptoms of withdrawal after birth.

In most cases, these symptoms are mild and go away within weeks with no treatment, or with only supportive care. Most babies exposed to fluoxetine in late pregnancy do not have withdrawal symptoms. If you take other psychiatric medications with fluoxetine through your pregnancy, there may be a higher chance for symptoms of withdrawal in the baby after birth. A systematic review and meta-analysis found that fluoxetine during pregnancy is associated with a slightly increased risk of cardiovascular malformations in infants.

Priyanka says. Overall, research suggests that the benefits of using an antidepressant like Prozac outweighs the risk associated with untreated depression or anxiety during pregnancy. More research is required, but one study suggested a mild reduction in fertility when taking antidepressants.

That said, one study found that the risk of miscarriage was similar between women exposed to SSRIs during early pregnancy and women who discontinued SSRI treatment before pregnancy. They will be able to advise you on the safest options for your pregnancy. The sudden discontinuation of antidepressants during pregnancy is not recommended.

Magavi, MD, psychiatrist and regional medical director at Community Psychiatry. Magavi points to research that indicates that fluoxetine, or Prozac, is one of the safest antidepressants you can take during pregnancy and breastfeeding. If you would rather discontinue medications during pregnancy, Dr. Magavi recommends consulting with a physician who can evaluate your mood state as the dose is gradually decreased over time.

In general, the recommended dose of Prozac ranges from 10 mg per day for panic disorder to 60 mg per day for bulimia nervosa. The initial dose for depression is 20 mg per day, but your provider may adjust that dosage up or down depending on symptoms. According to Dr.