There's no clear link between antidepressant use during pregnancy and autism or ADHD in children, according to a new evidence review spanning more than half a million pregnancies.
“Our study provides reassuring evidence that commonly used antidepressants do not increase the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism“While all medications carry risks, so too does stopping antidepressants during pregnancy due to an increased risk of relapse,” Chang said in a news release.
“Therefore, for women with moderate-severe, doctors and patients must carefully weigh the potential risks and benefits of continuing antidepressant treatment during pregnancy against the potential harms of untreated depressionFor the new review, researchers found 37 studies involving nearly 650,000 pregnancies in which antidepressants were used, compared to nearly 25 million pregnancies not exposed to antidepressants. At first results seemed to indicate a link, showing that antidepressant use during pregnancy was associated with a 35% higher risk of ADHD “Although our study found a small increase in the risk of autism and ADHD in the children of women who had used antidepressants during pregnancy, it also found that this risk disappeared when we accounted for other factors,” Chang said.
“The increased risk was also seen in the children of fathers who took antidepressants and of mothers with antidepressant use before, but not during, pregnancy,” he said. “Together, this suggests that it is not the antidepressants themselves causing an increased risk in autism and ADHD but it is more likely to be due to other factors, including genetic predisposition to conditions such as ADHD, autism and mental health conditions.
” Looking more closely at types of antidepressants, the analysis found no link at all regarding first-line selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors . , researchers said. Again, the severity of a mom's depression could be confounding the risk apparently linked to antidepressants.
“The evidence suggests a link between either parent having a mental health condition and a slightly higher risk of ADHD or autism,” said lead researcher Joe Kwun-Nam Chan, a research fellow at the University of Hong Kong. , changes in how the family functions and differences in how parents behave and care for their children may influence neurodevelopment,” Chan said in the release.
Stages of Pregnancy: 1st, 2nd, 3rd Trimester Images Explore the changes a pregnant woman's body goes through as you watch a baby grow during the 1st, 2nd and 3rd trimesters.
No Added Risk Of Autism Or ADHD In Kids
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