Antidepressants do not cause autism

About this episode

The episode discusses the misconception that antidepressant use during pregnancy causes autism in children, clarifying that research shows no causal link.

In all the recent hype on the “overprescribing” of psychiatric medications, there is a circulating rumor antidepressant use in the mother during pregnancy has could be linked to an autism diagnosis in the child. Thankfully, there is research on this topic, and the results are clear: antidepressant exposure during pregnancy does not cause autism in children. Where would this idea come from? Early studies did show a weak link, but the association arises because there is a genetic link between having a psychiatric disorder like anxiety and stress and autism. Don’t stop taking your meds unless you discuss it with your doctor. References below: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42134364 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42088678/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42168841/

Topics covered

• antidepressants
• autism
• pregnancy
• psychiatric medications
• genetic link
• mental health

Keywords

• antidepressants
• autism
• pregnancy
• psychiatric medications
• genetic link
• mental health
• research
• medication safety

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Autism Science Foundation

Products: antidepressants

Books & works: autism

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