A study recently published in the British Medical Journal suggests that some antidepressants are more likely than others to increase the risk of birth defects when taken early on in a pregnancy.

The potential link between antidepressants and harmful birth defects has been widely discussed for years between both consumers and the medical community.

Whether antidepressant drugs actually cause birth defects, and if so, which ones, is still unclear. This can make it very difficult for both women and their doctors to make effective and safe decisions for treating depression during pregnancy.

In an attempt to determine the validity of antidepressant birth defects arguments, researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Preservation analyzed federal data covering more than 38,000 women who gave birth between 1997 and 2009.

The researchers studied the number of birth defects among the babies of these women, and then asked the women whether they took any antidepressants in the early stages of the pregnancy.

The CDC birth defects study found no association between the most common antidepressant, Zoloft (sertraline), and birth defects. 40 percent of the women in the study who took antidepressants used Zoloft. The study also found that those who took Lexapro (escitalopram) and Celexa (citalopram) were no more likely to give birth to a child with birth defects.

However, the study’s analysis did find an association between some antidepressants and birth defects. Prozac (fluoxetine) and Paxil (paroxetine) were connected with several birth defects, including heart defects, abdominal wall defects, and missing brain and skull shape defects.

The relative risk of birth defects among pregnant women taking the drugs increased 2 to 3.5 times, depending on the defect and which medication was used.

An epidemiologist and lead researcher in the study, Jennita Reefhuis, says that while this may sound like a major risk, “the overall risk is still small.”

Looking at the numbers another way gives more perspective. For women treated with Paxil, or paroxetine, their children’s risk of brain and skull malformation rose from 2 to 7 per 10,000 births. For heart defects, the risk increased from 10 to 24 per 10,000.

The CDC birth defects study is an association study, meaning it does not prove that these medications cause birth defects. Instead, it notes the increased likelihood of birth defects associated with these antidepressants.

According to lead researcher Reefhuis, “If you’re planning to get pregnant, it really is important to talk with your health care provider to see if there are options and if you could choose a safer option among antidepressants.” Women should not attempt to take themselves off antidepressants during pregnancy, and should make these decisions with medical supervision.

If you have been negatively affected by antidepressant birth defects, you may be able to file a birth defects lawsuit.