Taking antidepressants during pregnancy poses risk on child’s development: study

By Stephen Beech via SWNS

Taking antidepressants such as Prozac during pregnancy can have a negative effect on the unborn child's brain, warns a new study.

Researchers found direct evidence that popping the pills while expecting may impact a child’s brain development - and contribute to the risk of mental health disorders later in life.

The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, is the first to provide evidence of the direct impact of serotonin on the development of the prefrontal cortex.

The research team, led by scientists at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in the US, focused on the effect of the antidepressant fluoxetine on a developing prefrontal cortex.

Fluoxetine is commonly used in medications such as Prozac and Sarafem for treating depression and perinatal depression.

Since fluoxetine works by increasing the levels of serotonin in the brain, the research team looked at the impact serotonin has on prefrontal cortex development in a foetus.

Lead author Dr. Won Chan Oh, Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacology at CU Anschutz, said: “While it is known that serotonin plays a role in the brain development, the mechanisms responsible for this influence, specifically in the prefrontal cortex, have been unclear.

"The prefrontal cortex, the most evolved brain region, plays a central role in highest-order cognition, which is why we focused our study on finding the answer from this brain area."

Dr. Oh and Dr. Roberto Ogelman, a neuroscience PhD candidate, found serotonin directly influences nascent and immature excitatory synaptic connections in the prefrontal cortex, which if disrupted or dysregulated during early development can contribute to several mental health disorders.

Dr, Oh said: “Our research uncovers the specific processes at the synaptic level that explain how serotonin contributes to the development of this important brain region during early-life fluoxetine exposure.

“We are the first to provide experimental evidence of the direct impact of serotonin on the developing prefrontal cortex when fluoxetine is taken during pregnancy, because fluoxetine not only crosses the placenta but also passes into breast milk.”

To study the effect, the researchers looked at the impact of deficiency and surplus of serotonin on brain development in mice.

They found that serotonin is not just involved in overall brain function but also has a specific role in influencing how individual connections between neurons change and adapt, contributing to the brain's ability to learn and adjust.

Dr. Oh added: “Understanding this correlation has the potential to help with early intervention and the development of new therapeutics for neurodevelopmental disorders involving serotonin dysregulation."

The research team say healthcare professionals should be involved in decision-making around personalized care for pregnant women, including discussing the benefits and side effects of antidepressants.

They researchers plan to continue studying the impact of fluoxetine by examining its impact on the developing teenage brain.