RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Association between the use of antidepressants and the risk of preterm birth among pregnant women with depression: a retrospective cohort study in Taiwan
JF Journal of Investigative Medicine
JO J Investig Med
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP 999
OP 1007
DO 10.1136/jim-2020-001683
VO 69
IS 5
A1 Li-Fen Chen
A1 Ching-En Lin
A1 Chi-Hsiang Chung
A1 Ching-Huang Lai
A1 Wu-Chien Chien
YR 2021
UL http://hw-f5-jim.highwire.org/content/69/5/999.abstract
AB Our study was aimed to investigate the association between the use of antidepressants and the risk of preterm birth in pregnant women who have had perinatal depression. We extracted data from the Taiwanese National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) and analyzed them using multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression models. Identified from the NHIRD, we matched 1789 women aged 18–55 years who were using antidepressants during pregnancy and 1789 women who were experiencing depression but who were not using antidepressants during pregnancy for age, index date, and medical comorbidities. We enrolled the women in our study, which we conducted using 12 years’ worth of data between 2000 and 2012, and then followed up individually with them for up to 1 year to identify any occurrence of preterm birth. Results highlighted that, compared with the women with perinatal depression who were not using antidepressants during pregnancy, the women taking antidepressants had a 1.762-fold risk of preterm birth (adjusted HR=1.762, 95% CI 1.351 to 2.294, p<0.001). The use of antidepressants in women with perinatal depression may increase the risk of preterm birth. However, the decision to start, stop, or change the use of antidepressants during pregnancy requires evaluating the risks of treatment versus untreated depression for both mother and child.All data relevant to the study are included in the article or uploaded as supplementary information.