Antidepressant use in pregnancy linked to autism in boys

Credit:  By Ⅿeagan from Tulsa, OK, US via Wikimedia Commons

Researchers from Johns Hopkins found a link between the use of certain antidepressants during pregnancy and autism in boys. The class of antidepressants are SSRIs and include Celexa, Lexapro, Paxil, Prozac and Zoloft .  The study, Prenatal SSRI Use and Offspring With Autism Spectrum Disorder or Developmental Delay, is published in the Journal Pediatrics.

"We found prenatal SSRI exposure was almost three times as likely in boys with autism spectrum disorders relative to typical development, with the greatest risk when exposure is during the first trimester," said study co-author Li-Ching Lee, an associate scientist in the department of epidemiology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, in Baltimore.

The researchers did not establish a causal link between the use of SSRIs and autism - meaning they cannot say the use of these antidepressants caused the boys' autism.  They did point out that the use of these medications in pregnancy is sometimes necessary.

Source:  CBS News

©Mary M Conneely T/A Advocacy in Action