Research Round Up

Abstract

With data from a US case-control study, Jennifer Ames and colleagues examined the links between maternal mental health and use of SSRIs with neurodevelopmental outcomes in offspring. Their analysis included data for 1367 children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), 1750 children with developmental delay or disorder, and 1671 controls. Relative to mothers without a psychiatric condition, mothers with a psychiatric condition had increased odds of offspring developing ASD (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1·93 [95% CI 1·59–2·34]) or developmental delay or disorder (1·60 [1·33–1·92]). In mothers with a psychiatric condition, SSRI use (vs no use of SSRI) during pregnancy was not significantly associated with the development of ASD in offspring. In secondary analysis, the authors noted that prenatal maternal SSRI use might be associated with developmental delay or disorder without intellectual disability in offspring, although further studies are needed to assess this association.