A study links autism with antidepressant use during pregnancy
The Bloomberg School of Public Health preformed a study with nearly 1,000 mother-child pairs. The mothers were exposed to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), a treatment prescribed for depression, anxiety and other disorders of the kind. The study showed how the intake of SSRIs was linked to the baby boy (most of the babies were male in the study) developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and developmental delays (DD.)
The study was published in the online edition of Pediatrics.
The researchers broke the data into three groups: autism spectrum disorder (ASD), developmental delays (DD), and typical development (TD.) 82.5% of the children ranging from two to five were boys in the ASD section, 65.6% in the DD group, and 85.6% of the children were boys in the TD section. The study did include girls but there was a stronger effect on boys. This suggests there is a gender difference in the effect of SSRI exposure to unborn babies.
The psychiatric epidemiologist in the Bloomberg School Department of Epidemiology, Li-Ching Lee, Oh.D., Sc.M., said: “We found prenatal SSRI exposure was nearly 3 time as likely in boys with autism spectrum disorder relative to typical development with the greatest risk when exposure took pale during the first trimester… SSRI was also elevated among boys with developmental delays, with the strongest exposure effect in the third trimester,” reported Science Daily News.
Serotonin is essential in early brain development and any interference with it can have developmental effects for the unborn.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said approximately one out of 68 children in the country has autism, and it is almost five times more common in boys than in girls. Is the increase in use of the SSRI contributing to the dramatic rise of ASD?
Researchers have also weighted the risks of the mother not taking depression medication. If a mother is depressed and does not get treated, there can be problems with bonding and attachment. The mother may not even want to deal or touch the baby because she could feel she cannot take care of the baby. There may also be feeding problems and the babies may be more irritable.
Despite the finding in the study that link SSRIs with autism, some doctors say they are not necessarily recommending mothers not to take SSRIs, they are merely asking them to review if they need to take them. Mild depression can be controlled by other means, while serious depression calls for medication.
