According to two new large studies, pregnant women with
depression and who are taking antidepressants are not increasing the risk of
their child having autism or ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).
The article states, “Genetic or
environmental influences, rather than prenatal exposure to the drugs, may have
a greater influence on whether a child will develop these disorders.” This is a
huge breakthrough since about 1 in 10 pregnant women will encounter a major
depressive episode and these are the women who had to weigh their options and
decide whether they wanted to risk taking the antidepressants, depending on the
severity of the depression. The two studies involved large sample sizes and
sophisticated statistical techniques which compared siblings in families where
the mother used antidepressants during one pregnancy but not the other. “In the
sibling matchup, the children had essentially the same risk for autism, ADHD
and poor fetal growth whether they were exposed to antidepressants in the womb
or not.”
This is an incredible step
forward in relation to the health of pregnant mothers and their children, which
is obviously one of the most important, if not the most important aspect of
life in general. Depression is a huge issue for millions of people across the
US and throughout the rest of the world and it is breakthroughs like this that
give people with depression hope of getting better and living happier and
healthier lives while mothers give birth to happier and healthier babies.
This was a very interesting read. I agree that it is a huge step forward. Maybe seeing how little an affect depression drugs have on disorders such as ADHD and Autism, more women will take these drugs and decrease the chances of Postpartum depression.
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