Taking Antidepressants During Pregnancy Increases Risk of Autism by 87 Percent (IMAGE)
Caption
Using antidepressants during pregnancy greatly increases the risk of autism, Professor Anick Bérard of the University of Montreal and its affiliated CHU Sainte-Justine children's hospital revealed today. Professor Bérard, an internationally renowned expert in the fields of pharmaceutical safety during pregnancy, came to her conclusions after reviewing data covering 145,456 pregnancies. "The variety of causes of autism remain unclear, but studies have shown that both genetics and environment can play a role," she explained. "Our study has established that taking antidepressants during the second or third trimester of pregnancy almost doubles the risk that the child will be diagnosed with autism by age 7, especially if the mother takes selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, often known by its acronym SSRIs." Her findings were published today in JAMA Pediatrics.
Credit
Image: Hepingting CC BY SA 2.0, <a href="https://flic.kr/p/95h8gu" target="_blank">https://flic.kr/p/95h8gu</a>, <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/" target="_blank">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/</a>
Usage Restrictions
Respect terms of CC licence: <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/" target="_blank">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/</a>
License
Licensed content