Association of citalopram with congenital anomalies: A meta-analysis.
10.5468/ogs.2017.60.2.145
- Author:
Hyun Hye KANG
1
;
Ki Hoon AHN
;
Soon Cheol HONG
;
Bo Yong KWON
;
Eun Hee LEE
;
Ji Sung LEE
;
Min Jeong OH
;
Hai Joong KIM
Author Information
1. Education and Human Resources Department, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
- Publication Type:Meta-Analysis ; Original Article
- Keywords:
Citalopram;
Congenital anomalies;
Heart defects;
Meta-analysis;
Pregnancy
- MeSH:
Citalopram*;
Congenital Abnormalities;
Humans;
Odds Ratio;
Parturition;
Population Characteristics;
Pregnancy;
Serotonin
- From:Obstetrics & Gynecology Science
2017;60(2):145-153
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVE: The antenatal use of citalopram, a widely prescribed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, has been suspected to be associated with congenital, particularly cardiac, anomalies. This study aimed to prove the association between citalopram use and congenital anomalies. METHODS: We searched the English literature from July 1998 to July 2015, by using the search terms ‘ citalopram’, ‘ pregnancy’, ‘ birth defects’, ‘ congenital anomalies’, and ‘ malformations’ in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library. RESULTS: Eight eligible articles were analyzed including a total of 1,507,896 participants. The odds ratio (OR) of major malformations associated with citalopram use during pregnancy was 1.07 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.98 to 1.17). Concerning cardiac malformations, the OR for all included studies was 1.31 (95% CI, 0.88 to 1.93). The analysis of cardiac malformations was repeated to reduce heterogeneity after excluding one outlier study (OR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.84 to 1.26). CONCLUSION: From our data, it can be concluded that citalopram use is not associated with major birth defects. However, physicians should carefully weigh the benefits against the potential risks of citalopram use, and counsel patients accordingly.
