🤰 Antidepressant use during pregnancy is NOT linked to a higher risk of children developing autism or ADHD, according to a major analysis of over half a million pregnancies published in The Lancet Psychiatry.

🔬 The study, by University of Hong Kong researchers, analyzed data from 37 studies involving 600,000 women who took antidepressants and 25 million who did not. Initial findings suggested increased risks, but these disappeared after accounting for factors like the mother's pre-existing mental health.

💡 Lead author Dr. Wing-Chung Chang stated that commonly used antidepressants do not raise the risk of these neurodevelopmental disorders. The observed increased risk was likely due to other factors, such as genetic predisposition, not the medication itself.

❗ For women with moderate to severe depression, the decision to continue antidepressants during pregnancy should be made by weighing risks and benefits with a doctor, as untreated depression also carries significant risks for mother and baby.

#Pregnancy #MentalHealth #AutismADHD

Autism and ADHD traits appear to follow different social paths to mental health problems. Autistic traits were linked to peer difficulties, internalizing problems, but not to academic struggles. ADHD traits were linked to externalizing problems and higher levels of academic difficulties.

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#AutismADHD #MentalHealthTraits #ChildDevelopmentResearch