Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors during pregnancy and lactation: A scoping review of effects on the maternal and infant gut microbiome

Perinatal mood disorders are a tremendous burden to childbearing families and treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants is increasingly common. Exposure to SSRIs may affect serotonin signaling and ultimately, microbes that live in the gut. Health of the gut microbiome during pregnancy, lactation, and early infancy is critical, yet there is limited evidence to describe the relationship between SSRI exposure and gut microbiome status in this population. The purpose of this Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA)-compliant scoping review is to assess evidence and describe key concepts regarding whether SSRI exposure affects the maternal and infant gut microbiome. Sources were collected from PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases, and an additional gray literature search was performed. Our search criteria returned only three sources, two rodent models and one human subjects research study. Results suggest that fluoxetine (SSRI) exposure may affect maternal gut microbiome dynamics during pregnancy and lactation. There were no available sources to describe the relationship between perinatal SSRI exposure and the infant gut microbiome. There is a significant gap in the literature regarding whether SSRI antidepressants affect the maternal and infant gut microbiome. Future studies are required to better understand how SSRI antidepressant exposure affects perinatal health.