A new study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, examined the cardiac effects on newborns of antidepressant use by their mothers while pregnant. Researchers found no indication that the use of antidepressants while pregnant had any correlation with risk of congenital cardiac defects in newborns. This study aimed to explore existing concerns, particularly ventricular obstructions and ventricular septal defects.

According to Fox News concerns about the use of antidepressants stems from a 2005 alert issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) based on two studies, which warned that antidepressants might pose a risk of congenital heart defects, but noted that the benefits might outweigh the risk. About 10 to 15 percent of pregnant women are diagnosed with depression, making the safety of the drugs an important issue.

March of Dimes reports that congenital heart defects are heart conditions that a baby is born with. These conditions can affect the heart’s shape or how it works, or both. Nearly 1 in 100 babies (about 1 percent or 40,000 babies) is born with a heart defect in the U.S. each year. Congenital heart defects are the most common types of birth defects. Birth defects are health conditions that a baby’s born with that change the shape or function of one or more parts of the body. They can cause problems in overall health, how the body develops, or in how the body works.

Depression is a common mood disorder that affects people of all ages, reports WebMD. In addition to medication, lifestyle changes can help mitigate or control the symptoms of depression. Also, depression may be related to grief or a medical condition, and that form of depression can dissipate over time.