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Rachel Levinson-Castiel, MD; Paul Merlob, MD; Nehama Linder, MD; Lea Sirota, MD; Gil Klinger, MD

Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2006;160:173-176.

Objective  To compare the prevalence and clinical characteristics of neonatal abstinence syndrome in neonates exposed and not exposed to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in utero.

Design  Cohort study.

Setting  Tertiary care center.

Patients  One hundred twenty term infants, of whom 60 had prolonged in utero exposure to SSRIs, including paroxetine hydrochloride, fluoxetine, citalopram hydrobromide, sertraline hydrochloride, and venlafaxine hydrochloride.

Main Outcome Measures  Neonatal abstinence syndrome was assessed with the Finnegan score as follows: score of 8 or above, severe; score of 4 to 7, mild; and score of 0 to 3, normal. All infants were followed up with a standardized protocol that included repeated Finnegan score assessments and cardiorespiratory monitoring until normalization of the Finnegan score.

Results  Of the 60 neonates exposed to SSRIs in utero, 8 showed severe and 10 showed mild symptoms of a neonatal abstinence syndrome. All nonexposed neonates had a normal Finnegan score. In neonates who developed severe symptoms, the maximum mean daily Finnegan scores were recorded within 2 days after birth, although maximum individual scores were recorded as long as 4 days after birth.

Conclusions  Neonatal abstinence syndrome occurs in 30% of neonates exposed to SSRIs in utero. These neonates should be monitored for at least 48 hours after birth. The long-term effects of prolonged exposure to SSRIs, particularly in neonates who develop severe symptoms, have yet to be determined.

Author Affiliations: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Petah Tiqwa (Drs Levinson-Castiel, Merlob, Linder, Sirota, and Klinger); Department of Neonatology, Rabin Medical Center, Petah Tiqwa (Drs Merlob, Linder, Sirota, and Klinger); and Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, (Drs Merlob, Linder, Sirota, and Klinger), Tel Aviv, Israel.

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RELATED LETTERS

Neonatal Adverse Reactions After In Utero Exposure to Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors: Still Controversial
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Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2006;160(8):855-856.
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Neonatal Adverse Reactions After In Utero Exposure to Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors: Still Controversial—Reply
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Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2006;160(8):856.
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