To the Editor:
A recent study published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics entitled “Antidepressant Use During Pregnancy and the Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children” (Boukhris 2015) may have caused unnecessary harmful repercussions among pregnant women and new mothers.
The study’s main conclusion is that use of certain antidepressants during pregnancy may increase the risk of autism in children. While Postpartum Support Virginia applauds research into the efficacy of antidepressant medication, this study and the resulting media fervor may unnecessarily frighten women who may previously, currently, or in the future need antidepressants during pregnancy for their mental health and well-being.
As with all studies, there are limitations. Here are some things that psychiatrists who specialize in caring for pregnant women have pointed out about this article:
The additional absolute risk of autism remains very small (less than 1 percent).
The study did not control for several important factors: depression severity, dose of antidepressants, or whether women actually took the medications.
The researchers were not able to separate the effects of antidepressants from those of the underlying depression.
The study did not take into account lifestyle issues.
What does all this mean?
Take caution in concluding that this study has identified a unique risk of autism in antidepressant use in pregnant women.
Pregnant women taking antidepressant medications should not abruptly stop taking any medications. These women should consult their doctors; each situation is unique and deserves a risk-benefit analysis.
Women who took antidepressant medications while pregnant and subsequently had a child diagnosed with autism should not blame themselves for their children’s autism. This is just one of many studies reportedly finding a cause for autism. Women — and doctors — made decisions based on the best available information at the time.
Adrienne Griffen
Founder and Executive Director
Postpartum Support Virginia
Arlington
www.PostpartumVa.org