For mild to moderate depression, treatments such as cognitive therapy may be effective, according to the article. The severity of the depression determines whether a doctor will prescribe anti-depressant medication such as an SSRI. The use of SSRIs in treating depression is common but certain ones such as Paxil have been found to have serious potential risks to the fetus, especially if the mother takes Paxil in the first trimester.

Paxil was more likely to be prescribed for conditions such as anxiety or panic than other SSRIs. Interestingly, babies whose mothers used an SSRI had a much higher rate of echocardiograms in the first year of life when compared to babies whose mothers took nothing.