Parental Mental Health, Not Prenatal Antidepressant Use, Has Greater Link To Children’s Risk Of ADHD Or Autism

Parental mental health status appears to have a greater effect on children’s long-term neurodevelopment than prenatal exposure to antidepressants, according to a recent analysis of 37 studies. The researchers found small associations between parental antidepressant use and children’s risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism, but those associations became non-significant after adjusting for confounding factors such as parental mental health conditions, family influences, and genetic factors.

The researchers concluded that concerns about neurodevelopmental risk should not automatically preclude antidepressant treatment during pregnancy for women with moderate-to-severe depression. They stated that optimizing maternal . . .