Antidepressants taken during pregnancy increase lung problem risks in offspring, a latest study suggests.
Canadian researchers found that women who take antidepressants during the 20th week of pregnancy risk breathing problems, known as persistent pulmonary hypertension, in their children.
Persistent pulmonary hypertension happens when high blood pressure in the lungs obstructs oxygen flow to the rest of the body, reports CBS News.
"Women taking these medications in pregnancy should not panic. The risk is still quite low," Dr Sophie Grigoriadis said, according to Philly.com. "It should be one of the factors you consider when you decide to use medications, but it has to be balanced with the potential problems that can occur if you don't treat depression," Grigoriadis, who works at the Women's Mood and Anxiety Clinic at Sunnybrook Health Sciences in Toronto, explained.
Children with persistent pulmonary hypertension might experience resistant lungs after birth. This could create an inability for lungs to normally expand leading to breathlessness.
The cases of persistent pulmonary hypertension are low and are estimated to be around two births per 1,000, Grigoriadis said in a press release.
She further noted that pregnant women are vulnerable to depression and it is important for them to take proper medicines.
"Decisions on treatment need to be personalized," she said. "Women need to make informed decisions by taking in all the risks of depression and its treatments. Psychosocial treatments are appropriate for some women, depending on how severe the depression is, and how quickly (they) might respond to treatment."
