Balancing Positive and Negative Effects of Antidepressants During Pregnancy

Maternal antidepressant (AD) use occurs during at least 8% of pregnancies in the U.S. and has been associated with psychopathology in offspring (e.g., autism; JW Psychiatry Aug 29 2011). In this study, researchers assessed the effects of maternal anxiety and AD use during pregnancy on infant auditory sensory gating, a measure of attentional function. Electroencephalographic responses to sequentially paired clicks were recorded, and response amplitudes to the first and second stimuli were measured (in normal gating, the second stimulus elicits a lower-amplitude response).

The participants were 242 mother–infant pairs (mean infant age, 76 days). Fourteen mothers had current or past anxiety disorders and used ADs while pregnant, 13 had no histories of anxiety but used ADs during pregnancy, 46 had anxiety but did not use ADs during pregnancy, and 169 had no anxiety and no AD use.

Infants of mothers who used ADs had sensory gating within the normal range, whereas infants of mothers with anxiety disorders but no AD use had impaired gating: Responses to second stimuli were not as diminished. Findings in treated women with anxiety disorders did not remain significant after controlling for multiple comparisons. Exploratory analyses suggested that postnatal AD use was not a significant variable.