Prenatal exposure to depression linked to neurodevelopmental disorders: Study finds

Children of mothers with depression had higher rates of certain neurodevelopmental disorders regardless of whether they were exposed to antidepressants in the womb, reports a new study led by Saraid McIlvride of the University of Glasgow, UK, published September 29th in the open access journal PLOS Medicine.

Antidepressant use during pregnancy is increasing, but currently, the long-term effects of these drugs on child development are unclear. Having untreated depression during pregnancy carries its own risks, however, making it very challenging for someone with depression to make informed decisions about whether to take medication during pregnancy.

In a new study, researchers followed more than 167,000 children born in Wales between 2009 and 2016, until 2022. Using medical and school records, they looked for any links between depression diagnoses or antidepressant use in mothers, and special educational needs in their children, such as diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or learning, behavioral, emotional or social difficulties.

They found that children of women who received antidepressant treatment had higher rates of certain neurodevelopmental disorders than women with depression who were untreated. However, these results could be affected by the fact that women with more severe depression are more likely to be prescribed antidepressants. When comparing between treated depression, untreated depression and antidepressant exposure without depression, the analyses showed that antidepressant exposure was associated with an additional 6.3 cases per 100 children in those not exposed to depression, and an additional 2.9 cases per 100 children in those exposed to depression.

The researchers conclude that children of mothers with depression have a higher risk of neurodevelopmental disorders regardless of whether they were exposed to antidepressants, but medication may carry an additional risk. They caution 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.

The authors add, “We showed that if women with depression took antidepressants while pregnant their children were more likely to have special educational needs, but it was only a very slight increase and may have been due to them having more severe depression, rather than an effect of the medicine.

“Among children of mothers with depression, 24 in every 100 children had special educational needs if she was not on treatment, and this increased by just 3 in every 100 children if she was taking antidepressants. This is compared to 20 in every 100 children for those not exposed to depression or antidepressants in the womb.

“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.

“Our study indicates that exposure to antidepressants during pregnancy could serve as a marker for additional support being needed at school.

“Linking mothers’ and babies’ routinely collected data and being able to follow their health and development over time is an amazing resource which can support research into maternal mental health, an area which urgently needs more attention.

“Further studies are needed to empower women with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions, together with their doctor or midwife, about their own health as well as their baby’s.”

Reference:

McIlvride S, Rao N, Singh S, Nelson SM, Pell JP, Fleming M (2026) Prenatal exposure to maternal depression and antidepressants and neurodevelopmental outcomes: A population cohort study. PLoS Med 23(9): e1004658. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004658