And overall, his team found, there was no clear link between SSRI use during pregnancy and children's autism risk. Mental Health/Psychology One small study followed eleven babies of mothers who took citalopram during pregnancy. Most people are aware of the fact that there are some risks associated with taking antidepressants while pregnant, but they probably didn’t think of autism as a potential risk.Earlier studies had suggested that there may be link between autism and antidepressant usage during various stages of pregnancy. Feeding difficulty… That suggests that the link is not due to the actual exposure from the drugs during pregnancy, but due to other factors.”Both studies highlight the fact that autism is a complex condition that is likely caused by a number of different converging factors: genetics, in the form of genes from both mother and father for conditions like depression or other mental illnesses, as well as environmental influences associated with life stresses that can be both psychological as well as physical, such as poverty. One study in the New England Journal of Medicine found differences in the brains of children with autism as early as the second trimester of pregnancy. Recent research suggests that changes that occur during conception, pregnancy, and possibly even delivery may increase the risk of autism in children who are genetically predisposed to the disorder. All matters regarding your health require medical supervision. It is known that antidepressant usage is on the rise, therefore we are likely to have more pregnant women who end up staying with their SSRI treatment throughout pregnancy. Encouragingly, both recognised some of the study's limitations, including some good advice: "Women should not stop their medication suddenly and… The ideas, procedures, and suggestions contained within this work are not intended as a substitute for consulting with a medical doctor. But can it be prevented during pregnancy? “But when you try to account for all the other factors that could help explain that association, like comparing siblings and looking at the timing of the exposure, the association went away. Mamas start getting nervous. Neonates exposed to SSRIs and SNRIs late in the third trimester have uncommonly reported clinical findings including respiratory distress, cyanosis, apnea, seizures, temperature instability, feeding difficulty, vomiting, hypoglycemia, hypotonia, hypertonia, hyperreflexia, tremor, jitteriness, irritability, and constant crying. Health In mice without these cells, inflammation during pregnancy does not seem to lead to autism. Citalopram is used safely in pregnancy. And according to this new study, if the child is a boy, he may end up with autism as a result of the SSRI.While autism can be caused by a number of other factors, this study does indicate that one likely cause is using antidepressants during pregnancy. Therefore if you are facing the quandary of deciding whether to take an antidepressant during pregnancy and/or various stages of pregnancy, be sure to consult a professional. At one year of age there was no difference in their development compared … It was published in the peer-reviewedmedical journal JAMA Pediatrics. The SSRI paroxetine (Paxil) is generally discouraged during pregnancy… There are no controlled data in human pregnancy.This drug should be used during pregnancy only if the benefit outweighs the risk to the fetus.A decision should be made to discontinue nursing or discontinue the drug, taking into account the importance of the drug to the mother.Cases of minor behavioral side effects such as drowsiness or fussiness have been reported; however no adverse effects on development have been observed in infants followed for up to 1 year.Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.The easiest way to lookup drug information, identify pills, check interactions and set up your own personal medication records.