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Autism Studies Related to Antidepressant Use
During Pregnancy
New Research Ties Antidepressant Use in Pregnancy to Brain Malformation
Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have found that women treated with SSRI antidepressants are significantly more likely to have children born with an abnormal brain structure known as a Chiari I malformation. Their findings were published online in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology on May 19, 2014.
Prominent Researchers Link SSRIs to Autism and Developmental Delays
In a study published online in the journal Pediatrics (April 14, 2014), several prominent researchers have reported that boys with autism spectrum disorders or developmental delay are three times more likely to have been exposed to SSRI antidepressants in the womb than boys with normal development. According to the scientists, "Prenatal SSRI use may be a risk factor for autism and other developmental delays."
Researchers at Johns Hopkins Review Evidence Linking Maternal Use
of SSRI Antidepressants to Autism
While research into a possible link between maternal use of SSRI antidepressants and autism is still in its early stages, a recent review of the scientific evidence for such a link raises clear cause for concern. According to a March 2013 publication, researchers at Johns Hopkins University, "Diverse studies provide compelling evidence that there is serotonergic [involving serotonin, the brain chemical targeted by SSRIs] dysfunction in at least some individuals with autism" and there is "biologic plausibility that SSRIs could also directly harm the developing fetal brain."
New Study Links Autism with Antidepressant Use During Pregnancy
A new study, first published online April 19, 2013, looked at drug use during pregnancy by Swedish mothers over a six year period (2001-2007) and found "an association between in utero exposure of babies to antidepressants and an increased risk of autism spectrum disorders, particularly without intellectual disability."
Antidepressant Use While Pregnant Increases Risk of Miscarriage
and Birth Defects for Infertile Women
A study published online on October 31, 2012 in the Oxford Journal Human Reproduction suggests that prenatal use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI's) antidepressants among women being treated for infertility increases the risk of miscarriage, premature births, various birth defects, autism and other pregnancy complications.
Spanish Study Shows Link Between SSRI Use and Preterm Birth
Published in the December 2011 edition of The Journal of Affective Disorders this study looks into what effects prenatal exposure to SSRI antidepressants has on obstetrical and neonatal outcomes. Specifically, researchers hope to learn whether SSRI treatment among pregnant women carries an increased risk for preterm birth. Studies have shown over the years that babies born preterm carry an elevated risk of developing autism.
SSRI Use Linked to Higher Concentrations of a Neuroprotein
Thought to be a Brain Damage Marker
A group of Italian researchers published a study in The Journal of Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine concerning the use of SSRI antidepressants among pregnant women to see if there was a link to a brain damage marker. The October 2011 study, entitled 'Antenatal maternal antidepressants drugs affect Activin A concentrations in maternal blood, in amniotic fluid and in fetal cord blood', found that babies exposed to SSRI antidepressants in utero had significantly higher concentrations of Activin A compared to babies that were not exposed to SSRI's. Activin A is a neuroprotein considered to be a marker for brain damage.
Celexa Autism Study
Authors of a new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on October 24, 2011, demonstrate that rats given antidepressants, specifically citalopram (Celexa), showed key signs of autism, including a disinterest in juvenile play, poor social behaviors as adults and abnormal responses to changes in their environment.
SSRI Exposure Linked to Abnormal Fetal Neurobehavioral Development
Scientists in the Netherlands have added new information to the evidence base linking the use of SSRI antidepressants by pregnant women with damaging effects on the neurobehavioral development of the fetus and newborn.
Kaiser Permanente Autism Study
The study, published online in Archives of General Psychiatry on July 4, 2011, reveals new research that links the use of SSRI antidepressants during pregnancy with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in children. After examining medical records, scientists found that mothers who take SSRIs during the first trimester had a 3-fold increased risk of having a child with autism.
National Institute of Mental Health Autism Study
In a 2011 study sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Center for Research Resources (part of the National Institute of Health), researchers found that rats exposed to antidepressants soon after birth exhibit sensory and behavioral abnormalities similar to those found in autistic disorders. The results suggest a possible link between prenatal antidepressant exposure in humans and autism.
SSRI Antidepressants Tied to Learning Impairment. Could Newborns Also be Affected?
The findings of this study, published in the June, 2010 issue of Biological Psychiatry, raise questions about the impact of SSRIs on the babies of women who take SSRIs during pregnancy. Studies have linked SSRIs with a number of birth defects involving the brain, as well as autism and low Apgar scores at birth.
Celexa Long-Term Effects Study
A study first published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology in January 2006, shows the means by which prenatal exposure to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants may cause permanent changes in brain development that affect brain function and behavior into adulthood. |
