Expectant women and those trying to become pregnant should avoid taking antidepressants because of a risk of birth defects, a group of U.S. obstetricians suggested Thursday.

The American College of Obstetricians issued the warning, which is published as an opinion in the December issue of the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology.

The obstetricians said exposure to selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors or SSRIs, a class of antidepressants that includes Prozac, Zoloft, Lexapro and Paxil, during the later stages of pregnancy has been linked with short-term complications in newborns.

But the group acknowledged that reproductive-age women face a higher risk for depressive disorders. Accordingly, the college suggested that doctors should decide on a case-by-case basis if women should continue to take the antidepressants.

Two studies of pregnant women who took Paxil during their first trimester showed that they were twice as likely to deliver babies with heart defects, the Food and Drug Administration said nearly a year ago. The FDA, along with manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline, reclassified the drug to reflect this potential danger.

In March, Health Canada issued a warning, stating that pregnant women who took SSRIs may increase the risk for serious complications at birth.

With files from the Associated Press