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Dr. Joachim Müllner (Psychiatrist)
Some scientific studies have established a link between taking antidepressants during pregnancy and the onset of neurodevelopmental disorders in children. However, this would not be the case, as demonstrated by this work carried out by Dr. Elizabeth A. Suarez, from the Department of Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, United States.
The conclusions of this study challenge previous work. In effect, “the use of antidepressants during pregnancy has been associated with neurodevelopmental disorders in children in some studies. However, the results may be explained by confounding, uncontrolled by parental mental health status, genetics, and environmental factors.” write the scientists.
A large cohort of pregnant women
To reach this conclusion, the researchers wanted to assess the association between the use of antidepressants during pregnancy and neurodevelopmental outcomes in children.
To provide a validated answer, the researchers followed no less than 145,702 pregnant women exposed to antidepressants, from the 19th week of gestation until delivery. The data from this follow-up were included in more than 3 million pregnancies not exposed to antidepressants.
Follow-up from birth
After the deliveries, the children were followed, from birth until the end of the study (ie for 14 years), in order to detect potential neurodevelopmental disorders. Among other things, the researchers sought to identify:autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, specific learning disabilities or developmental speech/language/coordination disorders or other intellectual disabilities” that would have appeared in these children.
No consequences but screening necessary
“The raw results suggested up to a doubling of the risk of neurodevelopmental outcomes associated with exposure to antidepressants; however, no association was observed in the most fully fitted analyses. write the researchers.
For them, “the results of this cohort study suggest that the use of antidepressants during pregnancy itself does not increase the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in children.” However, they remain proud and believe that “exposure to antidepressants during pregnancy may be an important marker for the need for early detection and intervention”.
Risk-benefit balance
Asked about the result of this study, Dr. Joachim Mullner, psychiatrist and member of Doctissimo’s expert committee, believes in the preamble that “this very serious study covers a large number of subjects and is published in a peer-reviewed journal whose rigor is internationally recognized”.
According to him, “these results therefore go in the direction of confirming the absence of a link between the administration of antidepressants during pregnancy and neurodevelopmental disorders in children. Remember that it is obviously necessary, as much as possible, to give as little medication as possible during pregnancy, but that, conversely, not treating depression can have deleterious consequences for the mother as much as for the child. It is therefore necessary that research in this field continue, and in the meantime, in case of doubt, doctors and the general population can consult this reference site relating to the prescription of drugs during pregnancy: https://www.lecrat.fr/ “.