Could Early Exposure To Antidepressants Increase Anxiety Risk In Future Offspring?

Statistics show that around 15 percent of women in the United States suffer from anxiety disorders and depression during pregnancy. During this time, they may be prescribed antidepressants to help out. However, very little is known about the exposure to these medications and how it might affect future offspring.

Researchers at UCLA studied early developmental exposure to two different antidepressants, including Prozac and Lexapro, in mouse models that mimic human third trimester medication exposure. Findings revealed that although these serotonin-selective reuptake inhibiting antidepressants (SSRIs) were thought to work the same way, they did not produce the same long-term changes in anxiety behavior in the adult mice.

"This was quite surprising, since these medications belong to the same drug class and are believed to work by the same mechanism. The implications of these findings are that with additional investigation, it may be possible to identify specific antidepressants that are safer for pregnant women," said lead study author Anne M. Andrews, University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences, in a news release. "It's important to recognize that major depressive disorders and anxiety disorders are serious medical conditions that often require therapeutic intervention. Prescribing the safest medication for mother and child is paramount."

Findings revealed that mice exposed to Lexapro had permanent changes in serotonin neurotransmission and were less anxious as adults than the mice exposed to Prozac. Researchers also noted how genetic reductions have been linked to an increased risk of developing mood or anxiety disorders. Furthermore, the genetically engineered mice studied showed a significant amount of stress.

"It might be possible that when mothers are treated for depression or anxiety during pregnancy that certain SSRIs may promote resilience to developing these disorders in children later in life," Andrews concluded. "However, it will take much more research for us to understand whether this is true and whether certain SSRIs may be better at promoting these effects."

In the future, they hope to investigate the effects of early exposure from antidepressants on the arrchitectures of serotonin neurons, as well as the effects of other SSRIs, including Paxil and Zoloft.

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the journal Neuropsychopharmacology.

For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).