Hong Kong Study Clears Antidepressants in 500,000 Pregnancies as Autism, ADHD Link Fades
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 14
Hong Kong Study Clears Antidepressants in 500,000 Pregnancies as Autism, ADHD Link Fades
9 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 14
A Lancet Psychiatry meta-analysis of 37 studies found no significant rise in children’s autism or ADHD risk after antidepressant use in pregnancy once maternal mental health and other confounders were accounted for.
The apparent signal weakened sharply after adjustment: uncorrected data showed a 35% higher ADHD risk and a 69% higher autism risk, but those associations became non-significant.
Researchers said the same elevated risk pattern appeared in children of fathers taking antidepressants and mothers who used them before — but not during — pregnancy, pointing to genetics and underlying illness rather than the drugs.
The study also found no risk difference between high and low antidepressant doses, though it lacked data on socioeconomic and lifestyle factors and may still reflect bias because treated women often have more severe depression.
Clinicians said the findings support current practice: women with moderate to severe depression should weigh relapse and untreated-pregnancy risks against medication concerns rather than stop antidepressants out of fear of causing autism or ADHD.
With SSRIs cleared of autism risk, why do older antidepressants still show a link to ADHD?
Is maternal depression, not its treatment, the real threat to a child’s neurodevelopment?
If antidepressants don't cause autism, why do they alter fetal brain structure in scans?
Antidepressants in Pregnancy: Major Meta-Analysis Shows No Link to Autism or ADHD After Adjusting for Familial Factors
Overview
A major meta-analysis published in May 2026 by the University of Hong Kong found that using antidepressants during pregnancy does not increase the risk of autism or ADHD in children. Although the study first saw higher rates of these conditions in children whose mothers took antidepressants, these links disappeared after accounting for factors like parental mental health, genetics, and family environment. The research shows that earlier worries about medication risks were likely due to underlying family or genetic issues, not the antidepressants themselves. This provides important reassurance for expectant mothers and healthcare providers.