Taking antidepressants during pregnancy does not raise the risk of children developing autism or ADHD, according to a major new study published in The Lancet Psychiatry.
The meta-analysis, led by researchers at the University of Hong Kong, examined data from 37 existing studies covering more than 600,000 pregnant women who took antidepressants and 25 million who did not.
Initially, the data showed a 35% increased risk of ADHD and a 69% increased risk of autism among children of mothers who used antidepressants. However, after controlling for key confounding factors-especially the mother's pre-existing mental health conditions-the increased risk disappeared entirely.
Lead author Dr. Wing-Chung Chang emphasized that this finding suggests the underlying mental illness, not the medication, is the actual driver of risk. He noted that the same increased risk was seen in children whose fathers took antidepressants, further supporting this conclusion.
The study found no difference in risk between high and low doses of antidepressants.
Experts urge pregnant women with moderate to severe depression not to stop their medication out of fear. Untreated depression during pregnancy carries its own real risks, including premature birth, postnatal depression, and bonding difficulties. For milder depression, non-medication approaches like talking therapy remain the first-line recommendation.