SSRIs in Pregnancy and ASD. A Weak Link.

As if mothers of children with special needs didn't have enough to worry about, there's often the concern that we may have inadvertently exposed our child in utero to some stress or environmental 'insult' that led to the development of ASD. Media understandably does not stop to consider the repercussions on the reader when they report the latest, often highly questionable, research paper on the topic of Autism. But I can appreciate that when a link between consumption of anti depressants in pregnancy and ASD was made recently it must have been a chilling moment for any woman who had taken SSRI's at any stage while pregnant. However it comes as no surprise to now read the below article showing that any link is tenuous and that much more research needs to be undertaken before advising women to avoid use if planning to start a family. I hope this brings comfort to anyone who felt guilt or concern for taking something that was most likely prescribed in their best interests.

http://pn.psychiatryonline.org/content/46/15/1.2.full