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Zoloft and Pregnancy

Based on what is known about Zoloft and pregnancy, taking the medication while pregnant could potentially harm the developing fetus. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classifies Zoloft as a pregnancy Category C drug. While a doctor may prescribe Zoloft for a pregnant woman, he or she should only do so after carefully weighing the benefits of the medicine against the risks posed to the unborn child. If you become pregnant while on Zoloft, tell your healthcare provider.

 

Zoloft and Pregnancy: An Overview

Zoloft® (sertraline hydrochloride) is a pregnancy Category C medicine, meaning that Zoloft could potentially cause harm to your unborn child. This is especially true during the third trimester of pregnancy.
 

Zoloft and Pregnancy Category C

The U.
 S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) uses a pregnancy category system to classify the possible risks to a fetus when a specific medicine is taken during pregnancy. Pregnancy Category C refers to medicines that have not been studied in pregnant humans but do appear to cause harm to the fetus in animal studies. Also, medicines that have not been studied in any pregnant women or animals automatically are given a pregnancy Category C rating.
 
Even if a drug does appear to have adverse effects in animal fetuses, it's important to remember that animals do not always respond to medicines the same way that humans do. Therefore, a healthcare provider may still prescribe a pregnancy Category C medicine to a pregnant woman if he or she believes that the benefits to the woman outweigh the possible risks to the unborn child.
 
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;