Postpartum depression (PPD) occurs in approximately 10–18% of women and results in significant morbidity in both mother and child, with offspring risks including low self-esteem, low intellectual skills, child abuse and infanticide.1–6 Women with mood disorders are at an increased risk of PPD;7 however, the benefits of psychiatric treatment must be carefully weighed against the potential risks of in utero exposure of the offspring to treatment. Antidepressant treatment during pregnancy can result in increased miscarriage rates in early pregnancy and have been associated with low birth weight, preterm birth and birth defects with some classes of antidepressants.8 Limited information is available on the long-term neurocognitive effects of in utero antidepressant exposure.8
