Takeaway
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most commonly used antidepressants during pregnancy around the world, with an international prevalence of 3.0%.
- The highest prevalence was reported in North America at 5.46% and the lowest in Australasia at 1.35%.
Why this matters
- The prevalence of antidepressant use during pregnancy has increased over time in countries included in the meta-analysis, with the largest increase reported between 2001 and 2013.
Study design
- A meta-analysis of 40 studies collected after search of Embase, Medline Ovid, Web of Science, Cochrane Central, and Google Scholar during 2019.
- Funding: None.
Key results
- The prevalence of antidepressants for SSRIs during pregnancy was 2.33% (95% CI, 2.32%-2.34%) using a fixed-effects model and 3.01% (95% CI, 2.29%-3.74%; P=.10) using a random-effects model.
- Prevalence rates of SSRIs were:
- Highest in North America: 5.46% (95% CI, 4.83%-6.10%); and
- Lowest in Australasia: 1.35% (95% CI, 0.20%-2.50%).
- Among all SSRIs, highest prevalence rates were seen for (P<.01):
- Sertraline (1.10%);
- Citalopram (0.77%); and
- Fluoxetine (0.76%).
Limitations
- Heterogeneity among studies.
Coauthored with Chitra Ravi, MPharm
References
References
