Antidepressants During Pregnancy Increase Risk of Autism

Use of antidepressants during pregnancy is quite common. In the United States and Canada, 4.5% of women report having used antidepressants while they were pregnant. But new Canadian research suggests that you might want to think twice before doing that. The study found that taking antidepressants during pregnancy increases the risk that your baby will be born with autism. . . .

Specifically, the study found that using selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like Prozac and Zoloft during the second and or third trimester is associated with a significant increase in the risk of autism spectrum disorders. The risk of having a baby with autism went up by 217%.

The researchers were able to determine that the increased risk was because of the SSRIs and not because of the depression.

JAMA Pediatr 215;doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2015.3356