Antidepressants in Pregnancy and Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Purpose: To determine the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children following antidepressant use in pregnancy. Methods: A systematic review using the CAPES platform for the January 2005 to May 2015 period. The descriptors used were (antidepressant) and (pregnancy) and (autism). Articles were selected based on pre-established inclusion/exclusion criteria, with quality evaluated using the STROBE checklist. Results: Six articles were evaluated, with five favoring some form of association between antidepressant use in pregnancy and ASD in the child. In one paper, this association was found only with boys, while another identified the risk in children exposed to maternal depressive symptoms with no use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Conclusion: Results show that in addition to the multiple factors linked to antidepressant use in pregnancy and child development, factors other than drug exposure may play a role in the development of ASD. Further studies are required to clarify this issue.