Antidepressant Use During Pregnancy May Increase The Risk Of Autism In Offspring

Antidepressant use during pregnancy may increase the risk of autism in children, according to a recent study.

Researchers found that women who took antidepressants during their last six months of pregnancy were 87 percent more likely to have a child that was later diagnosed with autism than expectant mothers not on antidepressants during this time. However, researchers did not find an increased risk among expectant mothers who took medication for depression in the first three months of pregnancy.

"Use of antidepressants, specifically selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, during the second and/or third trimester increases the risk of autism spectrum disease in children, even after considering maternal depression," Anick Berard of the University of Montreal and colleagues, in a news release.

During the study, researchers examined over 145,000 children born in Quebec between 1998 and 2009. From the sample, 4,700 babies, or 3 percent of the total group, took some type of antidepressant during pregnancy.

Findings showed that only 31 babies, or 1 percent of the group, were later diagnosed with autism. The mothers of the babies were more likely to have taken antidepressants in the second or third trimester of their pregnancy, researchers say.

As it stands, the Mayo Clinic notes that while risk of birth defects and other problems for babies of mothers on antidepressants are low, few medications have been proved safe without question during pregnancy and some have been linked to health problems in babies, as well. However, health officials are advised to continue prescribing such medications if they believe the risks of depression may outweigh potential health risks associated with their use.

Though researchers can't be certain at this time why some antidepressants used during certain times of pregnancy may increase the risk of autism, they believe that serotonin may have a negative impact on brain development during a child's time in the womb.

"It is biologically plausible that anti-depressants are causing autism if used at the time of brain development in the womb, as serotonin is involved in numerous pre- and postnatal developmental processes, including cell division, the migration of neuros, cell differentiation and synaptogenesis - the creation of links between brain cell," Berard concluded.

The study is published in JAMA Pediatrics.

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