SSRIs could be responsible for pregnancy-induced hypertension, increasing the risk of pre-eclampsia, researchers have found.

The use of the antidepressants during pregnancy was associated with a relative increase in risk of hypertension of 60 per cent (with incidence increasing from 2 to 3.2 per cent), and paroxetine was associated with a relative risk rise of 81 per cent.

Aabout 20 per cent of pregnant women are affected by depression with 4-14 per cent frequently using antidepressants.

The use of antidepressants during pregnancy was associated with a 3.2 per cent rise in hypertension	Co-operative Pharmacy finds ‘alarming' rise in depression and anxiety prescribing A polypill for hypertension Pregnancy - Module 156
	The study, published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, compared 1,216 Canadian women who had been diagnosed with pregnancy-induced hypertension with 12,610 matched controls.

However, the study did not establish a causal link and pregnant women did not need to stop taking antidepressants, said study author Anick Berard.

"Individual decisions have to be made one woman at a time and risks and benefits have to be evaluated carefully in consultation with a doctor," Dr Berard added.