Women who take antidepressants and learn that they are pregnant must consider not just the potential risks of the drugs but also the impact of untreated depression on a developing fetus. Untreated depression could lead to low birth weight, irritability in the child and developmental delays. Side effects of antidepressants can be similarly harmful: miscarriage, premature birth, and breathing problems in newborns. "There's no path that's really risk-free," Pec Indman, a therapist who specializes in perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, tells the Chicago Tribune. "Illness has a risk and treatment has a risk." The question is, which is riskier? One of the more common effects of antidepressant exposure in newborns is post-delivery withdrawal-like symptoms. These could include respiratory problems, tremors, feeding difficulties, and jitteriness. Last year one study linked use of antidepressants in the first trimester with a fourfold increase in the chance of a child having autism, though many experts warn that these findings are not conclusive, as it was the first and only study to make the association and there was evidence of methodological weakness. Preterm delivery has been associated with antidepressant exposure more consistently, but no long-term effects on children have been shown. Dozens of studies have been focused on the safety of using antidepressants such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) during pregnancy. The problem is that it is not clear whether adverse effects showing in newborns are the result of the medication or the depression itself. Babies born to depressed mothers can have elevated cortisol...

Pregnant women on antidepressants face risks either from the meds (e.g., birth issues) or untreated depression's impact on the fetus.

Antidepressants and Pregnancy: Weighing Risks

Women who take antidepressants and learn that they are pregnant must consider not just the potential risks of the drugs but also the impact of untreated depression on a developing fetus. Untreated depression could lead to low birth weight, irritability in the child and developmental delays. Side effects of antidepressants can be similarly harmful: miscarriage, premature birth, and breathing problems in newborns. "There's no path that's really risk-free," Pec Indman, a therapist who specializes in perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, tells the Chicago Tribune. "Illness has a risk and treatment has a risk." The question is, which is riskier? One of the more common effects of antidepressant exposure in newborns is post-delivery withdrawal-like symptoms. These could include respiratory problems, tremors, feeding difficulties, and jitteriness. Last year one study linked use of antidepressants in the first trimester with a fourfold increase in the chance of a child having autism, though many experts warn that these findings are not conclusive, as it was the first and only study to make the association and there was evidence of methodological weakness. Preterm delivery has been associated with antidepressant exposure more consistently, but no long-term effects on children have been shown. Dozens of studies have been focused on the safety of using antidepressants such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) during pregnancy. The problem is that it is not clear whether adverse effects showing in newborns are the result of the medication or the depression itself. Babies born to depressed mothers can have elevated cortisol...

Pregnant women on antidepressants face risks either from the meds (e.g., birth issues) or untreated depression's impact on the fetus.

Antidepressants and Pregnancy: Weighing Risks

Researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center published a study April 20, 2026 in Molecular Psychiatry that analyzed 6.14 million U.S. birth records and found that commonly prescribed medications that inhibit cholesterol synthesis were associated with a 47% higher risk of autism diagnosis. The medications include widely used antidepressants, beta-blockers, and statins. When four or more of these medications were prescribed simultaneously during pregnancy, the risk climbed to 2.33 times baseline. The findings don't mean these medications are unsafe for adults or that pregnant people should stop taking them. They identify a specific biological mechanism that warrants discussion between patients and doctors about individual risk and possible alternatives. What the Study Found. The research team analyzed birth records from the Epic Cosmos database spanning 2014 to 2023, with follow-up through December 2025. They examined 14 medications known to inhibit sterol biosynthesis, the pathway responsible for cholesterol production in the body. The medications studied were aripiprazole, atorvastatin, bupropion, buspirone, fluoxetine, haloperidol, metoprolol, nebivolol, pravastatin, propranolol, rosuvastatin, sertraline, simvastatin, and trazodone. Mothers prescribed at least one of these medications during pregnancy had a 1.47-fold higher risk of having a child later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Risk increased with each additional medication, climbing 1.33 times for every sterol-inhibiting drug co-prescribed. The pattern held across different medication classes. Whether the drug was an antidepressant, a beta-blocker, or a statin, the shared mechanism of cholesterol pathway disruption showed a consistent association with autism diagnosis. Why Cholesterol Matters for Fetal Brain Development. Cholesterol is...

UNMC study finds cholesterol-inhibiting medications during pregnancy associated with 47% higher autism risk

Common Medications Taken During Pregnancy Are Linked to Increased Autism Risk in a New Study of 6 Million Births. Here's What Families Need to Know.

Researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center published a study April 20, 2026 in Molecular Psychiatry that analyzed 6.14 million U.S. birth records and found that commonly prescribed medications that inhibit cholesterol synthesis were associated with a 47% higher risk of autism diagnosis. The medications include widely used antidepressants, beta-blockers, and statins. When four or more of these medications were prescribed simultaneously during pregnancy, the risk climbed to 2.33 times baseline. The findings don't mean these medications are unsafe for adults or that pregnant people should stop taking them. They identify a specific biological mechanism that warrants discussion between patients and doctors about individual risk and possible alternatives. What the Study Found. The research team analyzed birth records from the Epic Cosmos database spanning 2014 to 2023, with follow-up through December 2025. They examined 14 medications known to inhibit sterol biosynthesis, the pathway responsible for cholesterol production in the body. The medications studied were aripiprazole, atorvastatin, bupropion, buspirone, fluoxetine, haloperidol, metoprolol, nebivolol, pravastatin, propranolol, rosuvastatin, sertraline, simvastatin, and trazodone. Mothers prescribed at least one of these medications during pregnancy had a 1.47-fold higher risk of having a child later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Risk increased with each additional medication, climbing 1.33 times for every sterol-inhibiting drug co-prescribed. The pattern held across different medication classes. Whether the drug was an antidepressant, a beta-blocker, or a statin, the shared mechanism of cholesterol pathway disruption showed a consistent association with autism diagnosis. Why Cholesterol Matters for Fetal Brain Development. Cholesterol is...

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Special Needs
Articles

Antidepressants and Pregnancy: Weighing Risks

Common Medications Taken During Pregnancy Are Linked to Increased Autism Risk in a New Study of 6 Million Births. Here's What Families Need to Know.

Find Providers Near You

Special Needs Articles

Antidepressants and Pregnancy: Weighing Risks

Common Medications Taken During Pregnancy Are Linked to Increased Autism Risk in a New Study of 6 Million Births. Here's What Families Need to Know.

Find Providers Near You

Special Needs
Articles