2023-10-29 09:00:16
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are indicated for the treatment of postnatal depression, however there is a lack of evidence regarding their long-term outcomes in mother and child. These new data support the benefits of postnatal SSRI treatment in women with postnatal depression.
The study: This is an analysis of data from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort, i.e. participants recruited at weeks 17 and 18 of their pregnancy, from 1999 to 2008, and who were followed after delivery until in 2022. The diagnosis of postnatal depression was defined by a score of 7 or more on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Postnatal SSRI treatment was identified using self-reported data at 6 months postpartum. The analysis reveals that:
Among all participants, 14% or 8,671 met the diagnostic criteria for postnatal depression and 2% or 177 received postnatal SSRI treatment;
postnatal treatment with SSRIs attenuates the association between postnatal depression and subsequent maternal depression,
to improve the marital relationship, reduce the child’s behavioral disorders or problems during early childhood and limit the child’s risk of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) until the age of 5.
These results are therefore in favor of postnatal treatment with SSRIs and show that such treatment can provide long-term benefits to women suffering from postnatal depression but also to their children.
The study thus provides valuable information to clinicians and women suffering from postnatal depression to make informed therapeutic decisions.
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#POSTPARTUM #DEPRESSION #benefits #antidepressants