New Delhi: New research has linked a diagnosis of depression during pregnancy with a higher chance of the child having a neurodevelopmental disorder, regardless of whether the mother took antidepressants.
Researchers from the UK’s University of Glasgow found that among children of mothers with depression, 24 in every 100 had special educational needs when the mother was not receiving treatment. This increased by just three in every 100 children if she was taking antidepressants.
This was compared with 20 in every 100 children who were not exposed to depression or antidepressants in the womb.
The researchers said that more pregnant women are taking antidepressants, but the long-term effects of these drugs on child development are unclear.
While having untreated depression during pregnancy carries its own risks, it can be very challenging for someone with depression to make informed decision about medications, the team said.
The study, published in the journal PLOS Medicine, followed more than 1,67,000 children born in Wales between 2009 and 2016 until 2022, using medical and school records.
Children of women who received antidepressant treatment had higher rates of neurodevelopmental disorders, compared to women with untreated depression.
However, the results could be affected by the fact that women with more severe depression are more likely to be prescribed antidepressants, the researchers said.
Further, when comparing treated depression, untreated depression and antidepressant exposure without depression, the analysis showed that antidepressant exposure was associated with an additional 6.3 cases per 100 children of those not exposed to depression, and an additional 2.9 cases per 100 children of those exposed to depression.
“Offspring of mothers with depression have a higher risk of SEN (special education needs) that cannot be attributed solely to antidepressant exposure. Prenatal exposure to antidepressants may confer a small additional absolute risk, but findings may partly represent confounding by depression severity. Further research is needed,” the authors wrote.
“Our results don’t suggest that women should automatically stop taking their antidepressants because depression can harm both mother and baby if not treated. Women should always speak to their doctor about what is best in their situation,” they said.
They cautioned that any potential risk of treatment should be balanced against the risks of untreated depression in mothers, which is associated with a higher risk of postnatal depression.
“Our study indicates that exposure to antidepressants during pregnancy could serve as a marker for additional support being needed at school,” the team said.
