Prenatal Exposure to Antidepressants Focus of New Autism Research

Rats exposed to antidepressants just before and after birth show brain abnormalities and strange behaviors reminiscent of autism, a new study finds.
Although the research is in animals, the study provides experimental evidence for a previously reported link between antidepressant use during pregnancy and autism in children. The study in rats found that when the developing animals were exposed to the serotonin-selective reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) citalopram during the critical period around the time they were born, they became excessively fearful when faced with new situations and failed to play normally with peers.