Observational studyArchives of women's mental health2025
Maternal antidepressant effects on the fetal nonstress test.
Observational study in Archives of women's mental health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Insights on maternal antidepressant effects on the fetal nonstress test.Archives of women's mental health · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeSelective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are commonly prescribed for mood disorders in pregnancy, though studies regarding effects on fetal behavior are conflicting. Previous studies have suggested that fetuses exposed to these medications in the third trimester may have decreased fetal heart rate variability. Since changes in variability may affect the interpretation of antenatal testing, clinicians should be aware of those medications that may impair effective testing.
methodsA retrospective observational cohort study was performed to compare nonstress test (NST) parameters of fetuses exposed to SSRIs with unexposed fetuses at 36 weeks gestation. Subjects were excluded if they had multiple gestations, fetal anomalies including growth restriction, illicit substance use or use of other psychotropic medications. NSTs were compared for fetal baseline heart rate, variability, time to reactivity, number of accelerations over time, and number of fetal movements over time.
resultsOf 219 participants, 12 were taking an SSRI/SNRI at the time of their 36-week NST. There were no significant differences in demographics or indications for NST between groups. NSTs were reactive in 92% of those taking an SSRI/SNRI and in 97% of those not taking an SSRI/SNRI. Time to reactivity [8.6 min vs. 12.5 min], baseline heart rate [142 bpm vs. 139 bpm], and heart rate variability [12.1 bpm vs. 11.7 bpm] were all similar between the two groups.
conclusionThough limited by sample size, lack of pharmacologic data and potential confounding by indication, the study suggests SSRI use is not associated with any significant changes in NST. Clinicians should be reassured that NST assessment remains a useful means of determining fetal wellbeing in patients using these medications.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.