FIRST-TRIMESTER EXPOSURE TO ANTIDEPRESSAN T DRUGS - RESULT OF A FOLLOW-UP

The Pharmacovigilance and Poisons Center in Lyon undertook an analysis of their data on antidepressant (MAOI excluded) exposure during the f irst trimester of pregnancy. From 1986 to 1998, 151 prospective enquir ies were collected of which 145 exposures occurred during the first tr imester of pregnancy. The outcome of pregnancy was known for 114 of th ese cases. Voluntary or medical abortion was decided in 24 cases, spon taneous abortion occurred in 11 patients and fetal death, unrelated to drug exposure, was noted in one case. Delivery was reported in 78 cas es including 69 (88.5 %) normal infants, with obstetrical complication s not related to the treatment in 7 of these cases. Neonatal complicat ions were noted in 5 (6.4 %) cases, including withdrawal symptoms poss ibly related to the treatment in 3 cases. Congenital abnormalities wer e identified in 4 cases (5.1 %) with one case of major malformation (m embranous ventricular septal defect). Such a study is not an exhaustiv e survey of antidepressant exposure during pregnancy, but a collection of inquiries received by our centre. Even though our study's ability to detect an overall increase in the risk of malformations is too low and limited the extent of our conclusion, our results are in agrement with the literature data as no important increased in major birth defe ct was observed