Parents' Antidepressant Use Not Linked to Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Offspring

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By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, Senior Medical Editor, B. Pharm. Last updated on May 19, 2026.

via HealthDay

TUESDAY, May 19, 2026 -- Antidepressant use during pregnancy does not cause an increased risk for neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring, according to a review published in the June issue of The Lancet Psychiatry.

Joe Kwun Nam Chan, Ph.D., from the University of Hong Kong, and colleagues conducted a systematic literature review to assess the risk for neurodevelopmental disorders following prenatal antidepressant exposure (before or during pregnancy) from mothers and fathers.

Based on 37 studies (648,626 antidepressant-exposed and nearly 25 million unexposed pregnancies), the researchers found that prenatal antidepressant use was associated with a modestly increased risk for neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring (relative risk [RR], 1.13), including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; RR, 1.35) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD; RR, 1.69). No significant associations were seen for intellectual disabilities, motor disorders, or speech and language disorders. For ASD risk, there was no significant difference between high-dose and low-dose exposure. Additionally, paternal antidepressant use around conception was not linked to ASD. Similar associations were seen with preconception exposure. Associations were attenuated or became nonsignificant in sensitivity analyses when adjusting for confounding factors, including maternal mental disorders, familial or genetic influences, and misclassification. As a negative control, paternal antidepressant use during pregnancy was associated with increased ADHD risk (RR, 1.46) and ASD risk (RR, 1.28), suggesting the association reflects parental mental health and genetics rather than the medication itself.

"We know many parents-to-be worry about the potential impact of taking medication during pregnancy; our study provides reassuring evidence that commonly used antidepressants do not increase the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and ADHD in children," coauthor Wing Chung Chang, M.D., also from the University of Hong Kong, said in a statement.

Two authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

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Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

Source: HealthDay

Posted : 2026-05-20 02:48

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