Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor Use during Pregnancy and the Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Review

Takoua Boukhris; Anick Bérard

doi:10.1055/s-0035-1556744

Journal of Pediatric Genetics, Table of Contents

J Pediatr Genet 2015; 04(02): 084-093
DOI: 10.1055/s-0035-1556744

Review Article

Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor Use during Pregnancy and the Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Review

Takoua Boukhris

¹Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

²Research Center, CHU Sainte-Justine, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

,

Anick Bérard

¹Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

²Research Center, CHU Sainte-Justine, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

› Author Affiliations

Abstract

Antidepressants are widely used during pregnancy. Several studies have shown that the use of antidepressants during pregnancy is linked to adverse outcomes, including congenital malformations, prematurity, and low birth weight. However, there is a knowledge gap regarding the potential association between gestational exposure to antidepressants and the risk of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The etiology of ASD remains unclear, although studies have implicated genetic predispositions and environmental risk factors in the development of ASD in children. In this review, we describe the association between gestational use of antidepressants, specifically selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and the risk of ASD.

Keywords

SSRI - pregnancy - autism spectrum disorders - review

Full Text

References

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