Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors taken during Pregnancy May Affect Children's Digestive Health

A new study finds that a commonly prescribed class of antidepressant drugs taken during pregnancy may affect digestive health in offspring later in life. The study is published ahead of print in the American Journal of Physiology-Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology. It was chosen as an APSselect article for November.

An estimated 10% of people use antidepressants during pregnancy. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most common type of antidepressant medications used during pregnancy and breastfeeding. However, use of SSRIs has been found to double the risk of congenital birth defects and has a lasting effect on children’s language skills and gastrointestinal function. This may be because 95% of the body’s serotonin-a chemical messenger that facilitates communication between the nervous system and the brain as well as enhances mood-is found in the gastrointestinal tract.

In this study, researchers used a rat model to explore whether exposure to the SSRI drug fluoxetine affected the offsprings’ gastrointestinal motility-how food moves the digestive system-and risk for developing colitis. Two groups of female rats were given cookie dough for two weeks before mating through when they weaned the rat pups at three weeks old. One group received fluoxetine in their treat, while the other group consisted of nonmedicated controls. This medication schedule “reflects real-world use of antidepressant therapy during pregnancy and lactation,” the researchers wrote.