New moms taking common antidepressant drugs may experience delayed lactation after giving birth, according to a new study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
Specifically, the study shows that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant drugs may be linked to a difficulty known as delayed secretory activation, defined as a delay in the initiation of full milk secretion.
"The breasts are serotonin-regulated glands, meaning the breasts' ability to secrete milk at the right time is closely related to the body's production and regulation of the hormone serotonin," explained Nelson Horseman of the University of Cincinnati and co-author of the study. "Common antidepressant drugs like fluoxetine, sertraline and paroxetine can affect mood, emotion and sleep; [and] they may also impact serotonin regulation in the breast, placing new mothers at greater risk of a delay in the establishment of a full milk supply."
In the study of 431 postpartum women, average onset of lactation was 86 hours postpartum for the SSRI-treated mothers and 69 hours for mothers not treated with SSRI drugs. Researchers commonly define delayed secretory activation as occurring later than 72 hours postpartum.
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Source: The Endocrine Society
