Antidepressant drugs ‘increase autism risk in unborn babies’

TAKING antidepressants during pregnancy almost doubles the risk of children developing autism, a study found.

The study on more than 140,000 pregnant women found that taking drugs such as Prozac and Seroxat during the second and third trimesters significantly increased the chance of such conditions.

Researchers said the reasons were unknown but that it was “biologically plausible” that the medication could affect the development of the brain in the womb at a critical stage.

Current NHS advice suggests such drugs should be avoided in pregnancy because they have been linked to miscarriage and to health problems for the unborn child. However, doctors are advised to continue prescribing the drugs if they believe the risks of depression outweigh other considerations. As a result, about 20,000 women a year take such drugs during pregnancy.

The study by the University of Montreal followed 145,456 pregnancies and children up to the age of 10. It found 1,054 children were diagnosed with autism at an average age of 4.5 years.

The chance of such a diagnosis went up by 87 per cent among children of women who took anti-depressants in the last six months of pregnancy.

Previous studies have found conflicting evidence linking antidepressants in pregnancy with autism in children.

In 2011, a small study in Calfornia suggested that use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) during pregnancy could double the risk of autism. But two years later, a larger Danish study suggested such risks were almost eliminated if researchers adjusted for the presence of underlying depression in the mother.

Prof Anick Bérard, of Montreal University, said of the new study: “The variety of causes of autism remains unclear, but studies have shown that both genetics and environment can play a role.” She said the inhibition of serotonin by SSRIs could have a negative impact on brain development.