Imipramine in pregnancy.

Prenatal Antidepressant Exposure: Clinical and Preclinical Findings

“…Dr. William McBride, who first reported deformities due to thalidomide, began examining mothers and their infants and reported increased limb deformities associated with iminodibenzyl hydrochloride (associated with TCA use) during pregnancy (McBride, 1972). The article was reported by several press agencies including The Times of London (March 4, 1972), spurring a reaction from physicians reporting the safety of these medications during pregnancy in their patients (Crombie et al, 1972;Kuenssberg and Knox, 1972;Levy, 1972;Sim, 1972). Notably, at the same time, the Lithium Registry of Babies (Schou et al, 1973) reported a higher rate of a specific cardiac defect, Ebstein's Anomaly associated with lithium.…”

Mood disturbance and pregnancy: pros and cons of pharmacologic treatment

“…[28][29][30] More than 400 cases of first trimester exposure to TCAs were pooled and examined, and this analysis showed no association with morphologic teratogenicity. 31 Although TCAs were examined as a drug class (versus a more individualized analysis), neither single study nor a series of studies supports an increased risk for congenital malformations after early exposure to these drugs.…”

Treatment of Mental Disorders in Pregnancy: A Review of Neuroleptics, Antidepressants, and Lithium Carbonate

“…One retrospective case co ntrol study of 2,784 cases of birth defects was inconclusive (61), while other sma ll co hort studies (62)(63)(64)(65) found no causal relationship between maternal imipramine or am itriptyline intake and congenital anomalies in th e offspring.…”