Antidepressants in pregnancy do not raise children's risk of autism or ADHD, study finds

"The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Hong Kong and published in the Lancet Psychiatry, analysed data from 37 existing studies that included 600,000 pregnant women who had taken antidepressants, and 25 million women who had no antidepressant use during their pregnancies."

"Before controlling for key factors such as pre-existing mental health conditions, the analysis found that antidepressant use by the mother during pregnancy was associated with a 35% increased risk of ADHD and a 69% increased risk of autism. However, when controlling for confounding factors such as pre-existing mental health conditions, this risk became non-significant."

"This means the meta-analysis found no significant link between antidepressant use during pregnancy and a greater risk of autism and ADHD in children, after controlling for the mother's mental health or other influencing factors such as genetics."

"We know many parents-to-be worry about the potential impact of taking medication during pregnancy; our study provides reassuring evidence that commonly used antidepressants do not increase the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and ADHD in children. While all medications carry risks, so too does stopping antidepressants during pregnancy due to an increased risk of relapse."

An analysis of more than half a million pregnancies found no significant association between maternal antidepressant use during pregnancy and later autism or ADHD in children after controlling for confounding factors. Data from 37 existing studies included about 600,000 pregnant women who took antidepressants and about 25 million women who did not. Before adjustment, antidepressant use correlated with higher risks of ADHD and autism. After controlling for factors such as pre-existing mental health conditions and other influences including genetics, the increased risks became non-significant. The findings indicate commonly used antidepressants do not increase neurodevelopmental disorder risk when maternal mental health differences are considered, while untreated depression also carries risks such as relapse.

Read at www.theguardian.com