health
Antidepressants in pregnancy do not raise children’s risk of autism or ADHD, study finds
Researchers say risk comes from ‘other factors, including genetic predisposition to mental health conditions’
TL;DR
- Antidepressant use during pregnancy does not increase the risk of children developing autism or ADHD.
- An initial association between antidepressant use and increased risk of ADHD and autism disappeared when controlling for confounding factors like maternal mental health and genetics.
- The study suggests genetic predisposition to mental health conditions is a more likely cause for increased risk, not antidepressants themselves.
- Stopping antidepressants during pregnancy carries risks of relapse, and decisions about medication should be made by weighing potential benefits against harms with a clinician.
- The research analyzed data from 37 studies including 600,000 pregnancies with antidepressant use and 25 million without.