A new study from the university suggests that taking antidepressants during pregnancy may raise the risk of autism spectrum disorder in offspring. The research examined data covering 145,456 pregnancies and was conducted by Professor Anick Bérard, a renowned expert in the field of pharmaceutical safety during pregnancy.
Of the 1,054 diagnosed with ASD overall at follow-up, 31 infants were exposed to antidepressants in the second or third trimester, and 40 infants were exposed in the first trimester. But increasingly, autism research is focusing on factors that may contribute to the disorder before birth. But two years later, a larger Danish study suggested such risks were nearly eliminated if researchers adjusted for the presence of underlying depression in the mother.
Bérard says women with mild or moderate depression may want to consider non drug approaches, such as therapy or exercise, that have been shown to alleviate symptoms.
antidepressants The study, from the University of Montreal and CHU Sainte-Justine Children's Hospital, found that women who take antidepressants during the second or third trimester of their pregnancy have over double the chance of having their baby diagnosed with autism by age 7 than women who do not take antidepressants during pregnancy.
"We strongly believe depression is a serious condition and should be treated", she says.
Across the USA, roughly 2.2 percent of children ages 3 to 17 have autism. "It has to be viewed as more information with regard to treatment of depression during pregnancy". A woman's anti-depressant use may well be one of many factors that may nudge her baby in the direction of a "suboptimal outcome" such as autism, ADHD or mood disorders, said Dr Hyman. In general, pregnant women should take as few medications as possible, she said. In this study, the risk of PPHN in newborns was 0.34 percent for those born to women who took SSRIs, and 0.25 percent in newborns of women who didn't.
"The estimates are that maybe 10 percent of pregnant patients are affected by clinical depression", says West Penn Hospital's Dr. Paul Weinbaum, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist.
Because they had prescription data, Berard's team could also see whether different types of antidepressants had different effects on autism risk.
And other studies done looking specifically at antidepressants in pregnancy have had mixed results. Therefore, it's important to weigh this uncertainty against the known negative impact of untreated severe depression in expecting mothers, she said.
Mintzes says pregnant women concerned about being on an antidepressant should not abruptly stop taking their pill, but could discuss gradually reducing the dose with their doctor. Studies have found that treating a pregnant woman's depression with medications decreases the risk that they will give birth prematurely, Wang said, and women whose depression is under control may be able to take better care of themselves and their children.
Source: canonplace.com
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