Pregnant women on (SSRI) antidepressants will probably find it harder to make the right decision about whether or not to stay on their depression medication during pregnancy — especially if they only read the (very misleading) headline and don’t read and understand (and/or get help from their doctors) the details of the latest study on a possible link between antidepressants and autism.
My point is that the increase in risk reported in this Swedish study– meaning the degree to which AD as a cause could be linked to the prevalence of autism in the population — amounted to less than 1%!
I’ve posted the link below. Pregnant women dealing with severe, moderate or even mild depression…if, after weighing the evidence, you opt to stop using a SSRI during your pregnancy, please also be sure to substitute alternative treatment (psychotherapy, an exercise regimen, a strong support system) and lifestyle changes that help with depression rather than simply opting out without replacing your antidepressants. I mention mildly depressed above because it is commonplace for mild depression to become more severe during and after pregnancy due to hormonal changes and related stresses.
Study Links Autism With Antidepressant Use During Pregnancy
By KJ DELL’ANTONIAA cautiously worded study based on data collected in Sweden has found that “in utero exposure to both selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (S.S.R.I.’s) and nonselective monoamine reuptake inhibitors (tricyclic antidepressants) was associated with an increased risk of autism spectrum disorders, particularly without intellectual disability.”
