(WRIC) — A new study from The Journal of the American Medical Association shows women who took antidepressants in the last six months of pregnancy were 87% more likely to have a child diagnosed with autism.
The study looked at nearly 150,000 kids to see if mothers on antidepressants while pregnant increased the risk of having a child with autism. Less than 1 percent of those kids were diagnosed on the autism spectrum.
“Many women in pregnancy struggle with depression and it’s a serious medical condition,” said pediatrician Dr. Gayle Smith.
Smith says while the study is important, she doesn’t think it means pregnant women on antidepressants should immediately stop taking them.
“Before any woman should stop taking a medication she should discuss her concerns and this particular research study with her doctor,” said Smith.
Robin Davis has a son with autism. She says she was very aware of what she took while pregnant.
“I didn’t take anything. No medication,” said Davis. “When he was diagnosed with autism at 4, I was surprised.”
Davis says while she thinks the study is a good step, she believes there are a lot more things that contribute to kids with autism.
“I think there are a lot of factors involved,” she said. “I think it’s great that there are studies going on, but we still don’t know enough.”
Doctors agree, telling future parents not to panic. They say it’s way too early to draw any conclusions.
“Absolutely it’s too soon to gather and make definitive recommendations,” said Smith.
Meanwhile, doctors did not see an increase in autism rates in women who took medication for depression in the first 3 months of pregnancy.
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