Many women wonder about the risks of taking an SSRI for the first time or taking one while breastfeeding. A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association explored how SSRIs can affect mothers and babies in the post-partum period. The study looked at mother-child pairs, in which the mother was treated with an SSRI for post-partum depression (PPD). The researchers found that several factors improved for the mothers with post-partum treated with SSRIs, including the mother’s post-partum depression symptoms and the child’s external behaviors, such as aggression. The JAMA study also found that up to year post-partum, children of mothers who were treated with SSRI’s were less likely to exhibit signs of ADHD. The study did not show a statistically significant increase in motor or verbal delays in children of SSRI-treated mothers.

At CalPsychiatry several providers specialize in maternal mental health and can walk you or your loved one through potential options in the peripartum and post-partum period. Depression can incur a severe toll on women and their families prior to, during, and after childbirth. Call today to book at one of our convenient locations.