Early pregnancy exposure to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, risks of major structural malformations, and hypothesized teratogenic mechanisms.

Introduction: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are commonly used to manage antenatal depression. Hence, the aim of this systematic review is to assess the prevalence of birth defects associated with pregnancy exposure to such agents and summarize the hypothesized teratogenic mechanisms.

Areas Covered: Medical literature published in English (1980 - June 2015) was electronically searched to identify all articles reporting an increased prevalence of birth defects associated with prenatal SSRI exposure and hypothesizing teratogenic mechanisms.