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Here's what I have from our agency's handbook:
A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine reassures women suffering from depression that taking anti-depressant medications during pregnancy does NOT appear to affect the unborn child. The latest study, considered an important piece of research, seems to calm the fears of many women who suffer from depression and who need these medications.
Some of the newer anti-depressants have shorter "half-lives" -- meaning they are metabolized more quickly and would probably be a better choice than one such as Prozac. Lithium, on the other hand, which is prescribed for manic-depressive illness, has been associated with increased fetal cardiovascular malformations.
Valium is an example of a drug that can have vastly different effects on teh baby, depending on when you take it. According to some studies, if taken early in the pregnancy, valium may increase the risk of cleft lip. If taken chronically, it can cause withdrawal symptoms in the baby after birth.
That's the end of what the agency handbook has. I did some searching on PubMed on my own and found a few studies. One meta-analysis (study analyzing a bunch of other studies) concludes: "As a group, the newer antidepressants are not associated with an increased risk of major malformations above the baseline of 1-3% in the population." This appeared in Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety (think that's the title) in March.
Another review appeared in Expert Opinion on Drug Safety, also in March, and had a similar conclusion: "The classes of antidepressants discussed include: tricyclics, selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors and other antidepressants. After reviewing these studies, it is evident that these drugs appear to be relatively safe to take during pregnancy."
So--in general, it sounds like all would likely be fine! Crossing my fingers for you!
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