A joint report from the American Psychiatric Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists finds that women during pregnancy are in a dilemma, whether they should continue taking the antidepressants or stop their use. They have therefore issued guidelines for the treatment of depression in pregnancy.

The report says that women with recurring depression may have more danger due to no treatment the risks attached to the fetus. It also lists guidelines to help the doctors choose the patients who should be put n antidepressants.

The use of antidepressants was seen to have doubled between 1999 and 2003. The increased use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants like Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft were largely responsible for the rise.

It was suggested by the joint panel that gradual reduction in the dosage of antidepressants may be better than altogether stopping its use. It also suggested the obstetricians to look for signs of depression in the population most at risk.

"This is a very exciting time in obstetrics and psychiatry, a golden opportunity for us to really make a difference in the lives of women and their children," said University of California, Los Angeles psychiatrist Dr. Vivien Burt, a leading researcher in mood disorders and women.

The guidelines suggest a screening of women in childbearing age to detect any signs of depression. The guidelines are summarized by saying that although the use of antidepressants is important to protect the mother-to-be, it may pose some risks to her baby in the initial weeks of pregnancy.

These guidelines have been formulated after seeing a constant rise in the use of antidepressants in pregnant women. It might result in the use of antidepressants only in severely depressed expectant mothers.