Antidepressants May Lead to Delayed Lactation in New Mothers, Study Finds

Women being treated with certain antidepressants may have delayed lactation when they become new mothers, according to a new study set to be published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Researchers found that women taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which include antidepressant drugs like Zoloft, Lexapro and Paxil, may begin lactation roughly 15 hours later than new mothers who were not being treated with SSRIs.

The study suggests a link between the use of SSRIs and a lag in the establishment of a full milk supply, known as delayed secretory activation.

The breasts’ ability to secrete milk at the right time is connected to the body’s production and regulation of the hormone serotonin, said study co-author Nelson Horseman of the University of Cincinnati, in a news release from the Endocrine Society.

Horseman and colleagues studied the effect of SSRIs on lactation using human and animal cell lines, as well as mice. They also examined the effect of SSRIs in 431 new mothers and found women who were not taking the drugs had a median beginning lactation of 69.1 hours, compared with an onset of 85.8 hours in women taking SSRIs.

Delayed secretory activation is commonly accepted as lactation that begins more than 72 hours after birth.

“SSRI drugs are very helpful for many moms, so understanding and ameliorating difficulties moms experience can help them achieve their goals for breast-feeding their babies,” Horseman said. “More human research is needed before we can make specific recommendations regarding SSRI use during breast-feeding.”

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