The Link Between Antidepressants And Autism

The Link Between Antidepressants And Autism.
Despite some concerns to the contrary, children whose moms in use antidepressants during pregnancy do not appear to be at increased peril of autism, a large untrained Danish study suggests. The results, published Dec 19, 2013 in the New England Journal of Medicine, make some reassurance. There have been some hints that antidepressants called particular serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) could be linked to autism as explained here. SSRIs are the "first-line" drug against depression, and incorporate medications such as fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), citalopram (Celexa) and paroxetine (Paxil).

In one up to date US study, mothers' SSRI use during pregnancy was tied to a twofold increase in the edge that her child would have autism. A Swedish study saw a similar pattern, though the risk linked to the drugs was smaller. But both studies included only limited numbers of children who had autism and were exposed to antidepressants in the womb web site. The supplementary study is "the largest to date" to look at the issue, using records for more than 600000 children born in Denmark, said chain researcher Anders Hviid, of the Statens Serum Institute in Copenhagen.

And overall, his group found, there was no clear link between SSRI use during pregnancy and children's autism risk. Hviid cautioned that the decree is still based on a small troop of children who had autism and prenatal exposure to an SSRI - 52, to be exact. The researchers distinguished that it's not possible to rule out a small increase in autism risk. "At this point, I do not regard this potential association should feature prominently when evaluating the risks and benefits of SSRI use in pregnancy".

Commenting on the findings, Christina Chambers, official of the Center for the Promotion of Maternal Health and Infant Development at the University of California, San Diego, stated, "I imagine this study is reassuring". One "important" nicety is that the researchers factored in mothers' mental health diagnoses - which ranged from decline to eating disorders to schizophrenia. "How much of the risk is related to the medication, and how much is tied up to the underlying condition? It's hard to tease out".

In theory depression or other mental condition disorders could contribute to autism risk because those moms may be more likely to make unhealthy lifestyle choices, such as smoking or drinking. In this study, Hviid's side did initially see a slightly increased chance of autism among children whose mothers used SSRIs during pregnancy. But once the researchers factored in the psychiatric disorders themselves, that statistical relation fell away.

On top of that, there was a lightly made increase in autism risk among children whose mothers had used an SSRI in the two years before pregnancy, but not during pregnancy. Hviid said that all suggests it's the underlying conditions, rather than the drugs, that are associated with a commonplace autism danger - though the reasons are unknown. The study, which was funded by the Danish government, is based on records from Denmark's chauvinistic system of health databases.

Of nearly 627000 children born between 1996 and 2005, just under 3900 were later diagnosed with autism. Among those children, 52 were born to mothers who filled an SSRI drug during pregnancy. There were just over 6000 other children whose mothers employed the antidepressants during pregnancy but did not ripen autism. Both Hviid and Chambers said the findings do not check that SSRIs carry no autism risk.

And a connection is biologically plausible. No one knows what causes autism, which affects an estimated one in 88 children. But it involves a disruption in fetal intelligence development. It's thinking that serotonin - the chemical that SSRIs butt - contributes to early brain development, and in animals, altered serotonin levels can counterfeit brain function and behavior. "It's still worthwhile to continue to study this.

But based on the fallible studies so far, "if there is any increased risk of autism, it appears small". And for any one better half that possible risk would have to be balanced against the risks of leaving major depression untreated. "For some women, the optimal setting may be to take an SSRI, even if there is an association with autism" aunty store. Hviid agreed, saying that's a decisiveness that has to be left up to women and their health care provider.