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Effect of Exposure to Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors In Utero on Fetal Growth: Potential Role for the IGF-I and HPA Axes

To investigate the possible effect of fetal exposure to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) on somatic growth and on hormones of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I axes, we compared the anthropometric parameters and hormonal profile of 21 SSRI-exposed infants and 20 matched controls. The SSRI group was characterized by lower crown-heel length (p < 0.01), smaller head circumference (p = 0.08), and higher percentage of infants with birth weight, birth length, and head circumference below the 10th percentile (p < 0.045, p = 0.08, p < 0.04, respectively), in addition to a significantly lower cord blood level of cortisol (p < 0.03) and higher level of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) (p < 0.004). Infants exposed to citalopram had a lower cord blood IGF-I level than infants exposed to paroxetine (p < 0.001) and controls (p < 0.003). Placental IGF-I receptor (IGF-IR) expression was significantly higher in the SSRI group than in controls (p < 0.01). Urine 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) level was negatively correlated with birth weight (r = −0.71, p < 0.025) and with dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) level (r = −0.71, p < 0.025). The Finnegan score was correlated with dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) (r = 0.8, p < 0.005) and cortisol (r = 0.62, p = 0.05). Fetal exposure to SSRIs causes impaired intrauterine growth accompanied by alterations in the IGF-I and HPA axes. The findings may raise concern regarding maternal use of SSRIs during pregnancy.