--- title: "Psych News Alert: Antidepressants Increase Risk of Preterm Birth" description: A group of Yale researchers has concluded that the use of serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) in pregnancy increases the risk of preterm bi... image: https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/preterm%20baby_32776096-Jun-24-2025-05-34-55-6443-PM.jpg --- 5/29/12 12:00 AM # Antidepressants Increase Risk of Preterm Birth ![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [ Psychiatric News Alert ](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) Share: [facebook-f icon ](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/05/antidepressants-increase-risk-of.html) [linkedin-in icon ](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/05/antidepressants-increase-risk-of.html) [Twitter icon ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/05/antidepressants-increase-risk-of.html) [pinterest-p icon ](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/link/?url=https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/05/antidepressants-increase-risk-of.html) [envelope icon ](mailto:?body=https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/05/antidepressants-increase-risk-of.html) [![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/preterm%20baby_32776096-Jun-24-2025-05-34-53-5912-PM.jpg?width=200&height=131&name=preterm%20baby_32776096-Jun-24-2025-05-34-53-5912-PM.jpg)](https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/preterm%20baby_32776096-Jun-24-2025-05-34-54-5525-PM.jpg) A group of Yale researchers has concluded that the use of serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) in pregnancy increases the risk of preterm birth. They performed a prospective cohort study of 2,793 pregnant women and extracted data on birth outcomes from hospital charts. Use of an SRI, both with and without a major depressive episode, was associated with preterm birth, defined as birth at 34 to 36 weeks gestation. A major depressive episode without SRI use had no clear effect on preterm birth risk. Their results were published online May 25 in *Epidemiology.* A 2009 study published in the *American Journal of Psychiatry* found that--for depressed pregnant women--both continuous SSRI exposure and continuous untreated depression were associated with preterm birth rates exceeding 20%. Read more in *Psychiatric News* [here](http://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/newsarticle.aspx?articleid=112519). (Image: Steve Lovegrove/Shutterstock.com) [SSRI](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/ssri), [pregnancy](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/pregnancy), [selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/selective-serotonin-reuptake-inhibitor), [preterm birth](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/preterm-birth) ## Related posts [![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/newborn_44795870_MEDIUM-Jun-24-2025-07-40-51-7571-PM.jpg?height=200&name=newborn_44795870_MEDIUM-Jun-24-2025-07-40-51-7571-PM.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2016/06/study-suggests-untreated-depression.html) [APA](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/apa), [psychiatry](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/psychiatry), [depression](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/depression), [preterm birth](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/preterm-birth), [prenatal depression](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/prenatal-depression), [JAMA Psychiatry](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/jama-psychiatry), [low birth weight](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/low-birth-weight), [systematic review](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/systematic-review) ## [Study Suggests Untreated Depression During Pregnancy May Increase Risks to Infants](https://alert.psychnews.org/2016/06/study-suggests-untreated-depression.html) ![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) 6/9/16 12:00 AM Untreated depression in pregnant women may increase the risks of preterm birth and low birth... [ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2016/06/study-suggests-untreated-depression.html) [![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/shutterstock_128888009-Jun-24-2025-10-30-58-5534-PM.jpg?height=200&name=shutterstock_128888009-Jun-24-2025-10-30-58-5534-PM.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2013/09/psychoeducation-helps-in-maternal.html) [preterm birth](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/preterm-birth), [maternal depression](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/maternal-depression), [trauma](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/trauma) ## [Psychoeducation Helps in Maternal Depression, Trauma Associated With Preterm Birth](https://alert.psychnews.org/2013/09/psychoeducation-helps-in-maternal.html) ![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) 9/11/13 12:00 AM A short, highly manualized intervention for mothers of preterm infants significantly reduced... [ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2013/09/psychoeducation-helps-in-maternal.html) [![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/marijuana-baby-iStock-1263521140-Jun-24-2025-07-17-48-5914-PM.jpg?height=200&name=marijuana-baby-iStock-1263521140-Jun-24-2025-07-17-48-5914-PM.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2022/11/cannabis-use-in-pregnancy-linked-to.html) [addiction](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/addiction), [pregnancy](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/pregnancy), [marijuana](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/marijuana), [alcohol](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/alcohol), [preterm birth](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/preterm-birth), [Cannabidiol](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/cannabidiol) ## [Cannabis Use in Pregnancy Linked to Preterm Birth](https://alert.psychnews.org/2022/11/cannabis-use-in-pregnancy-linked-to.html) ![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) 11/18/22 12:00 AM [ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2022/11/cannabis-use-in-pregnancy-linked-to.html) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Psychiatric News Alert", "url" : "https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert" }, "dateModified" : "2025-06-24T17:37:27.067Z", "datePublished" : "2012-05-29T04:00:00.000Z", "headline" : "Psych News Alert: Antidepressants Increase Risk of Preterm Birth", "image" : [ "https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/preterm%20baby_32776096-Jun-24-2025-05-34-55-6443-PM.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/05/antidepressants-increase-risk-of.html", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/PN-Blue-Box.jpg" } } } ```