A new meta-analysis of 14 studies found no link between exposure to prenatal antidepressants and autism. Researcher Jeffrey Newport, M.D. concluded that previous studies failed to account for ascertainment bias. Latina and immigrant mothers have lower rates of both antidepressant treatment and autism diagnosis in their children. Family-based studies removed this bias problem and found no association between prenatal antidepressant use and autism. Newport warned others against using insurance databases and national registries, which are not created to answer research questions.
Key Takeaways:
- A new review has suggested that studies finding links between antidepressant use during pregnancy and autism are biased.
- One of the most prominent biases was a lack of information and data from mothers from immigrant backgrounds.
- The authors suggest that it’s important to do analyses like these to elimiate biases that might feed into insurance coverage.
“A mother’s use of antidepressants during pregnancy does not appear to increase her child’s risk for autism”
Read more: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/05/200507094739.htm
Leave a Reply