Thursday, November 5, 2009

Depression, drugs linked to preterm birth

Pregnant women with a history of depression who used psychiatric medication have triple the risk of premature child delivery, U.S. researchers found.

Researchers at the University of Washington, University of Michigan and Michigan State University found that a combination of medication use and depression -- either before or during pregnancy was strongly linked to delivery before 35 weeks' gestation.

Lead author Amelia Gavin of the University of Washington said the findings highlight the need for carefully planned studies that can clarify associations between depression, psychiatric medications and preterm delivery.

READ MORE @ UPI