Association Between Antenatal Antidepressant Exposure and Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder

Background: Mental health disorders are common during pregnancy, often requiring treatment with antidepressants. While these medications carry minimal risks, concerns have been raised about potential links to neurodevelopmental outcomes like autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in offspring. Objective: To systematically review the available evidence on the relationship between antenatal antidepressant exposure and risk of ASD. Data Sources: A literature search of PubMed, Embase, and PsycINFO was conducted to identify observational and epidemiological studies published between ۲۰۰۱-۲۰۲۳. Study Selection: inclusion criteria were original research articles reporting on the association between in utero exposure to SSRIs/SNRIs and diagnosis of ASD. Exclusion criteria included case reports, reviews, and non-human studies. Data Extraction: Data on study design, population, exposure and comparison groups, outcome assessment, effect sizes, and adjustments for confounding were extracted. Conclusion: Consistent evidence from multiple study designs found no significant association between antenatal antidepressant exposure and ASD risk after adjusting for maternal mental illness and other potential confounders. Findings suggest antidepressants prescribed to support maternal mental health present minimal risks to neurodevelopment when used judiciously.

کلیدواژه ها:

Antenatal exposure ، Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) ، Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) ، Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)