Antidepressant use in pregnancy linked to autism risk in boys

Antidepressant use in pregnancy linked to autism risk in boys
A new study has shown that boys with autism were three times more likely to have been exposed to antidepressants known as SSRIs when in their mothers' womb than typically developing children. 


Though no cause and effect relationship could be established, the study found an association between prenatal use of SSRI antidepressants and autism risk in boys.
The study also established that boys whose mothers took SSRIs such as drugs including Celexa, Lexapro, Paxil, Prozac and Zoloft during pregnancy were also more likely to suffer from developmental delays. The study authors were quick to point out that there are risks to both the mother and fetus from untreated depression.
The study co-author Li-Ching Lee, an associate scientist in the department of epidemiology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, in Baltimore, said, "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."
Though the study should not be used as a basis for clinical treatment decisions, the authors have urged that women should talk with their doctors about SSRI treatments."
Other experts said the overall risk of having a child with autism remains very low.
While SSRIs used during pregnancy cross the placenta and increase levels of the hormone serotonin in the fetus, as they do in the mother, the higher serotonin levels decrease depression.
Background information indicates that antidepressants are used in about 4 percent of all pregnancies. About one in three children with autism has higher-than-normal serotonin levels.
Researchers think these high levels may lead to the development of abnormal brain circuitry, which may play a role in the development of some autism symptoms, according to the study authors.
The new study is the latest in an ongoing debate about SSRI use during pregnancy and its possible association to autism spectrum disorders. The earlier studies on SSRI use in pregnancy have produced conflicting findings.

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