Pregnant women should avoid taking SSRI antidepressants.
The drugs increase the risk of lifelong neurodevelopment problems in the child, such as autism, say researchers from the University of Virginia School of Medicine.
The SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) interact with any inflammation in the mother’s body, such as from infections, and the combination has a profound effect on the growing fetus.
The researchers saw the effects of the drugs on laboratory mice, and the harmful changes they caused in the placenta and decidua—which connects mother and child—which also affected the developing brain.
Around 80 percent of pregnant women with depression are given an SSRI and this could explain the exponential rise in autism. The explosion in autism cases started around 20 years ago, just when SSRIs were introduced, said John Lukens, one of the researchers.
SSRIs affect levels of serotonin, an important mood regulator that also helps regulate immune responses. Inflammation in the mother alters serotonin levels in the placenta, and the problem is amplified when an SSRI is taken.
“We found that mothers who encountered an immune challenge during pregnancy showed a totally different signature in the placenta when they were on SSRIs compared with mothers not taking the drug,” said Kristine Zengeler, another researcher.
