May 15, 2026
The use of antidepressants while pregnant does not raise the children's risk for developmental disorders such as autism, according to an analysis of data from more than 25 million pregnancies that appears to contradict assertions by US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr.
Kennedy has said, without evidence, that certain antidepressants pose such a risk to fetuses, and has also linked vaccines to autism, a debunked theory contrary to established science. The causes of autism are unclear. Scientists speculate that its neurological characteristics may develop in utero, when the fetal brain is being wired.
“Our study provides reassuring evidence that commonly used antidepressants do not increase the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children,” study leader Dr Wing-Chung Chang of the University of Hong Kong said in a statement.
The researchers analyzed data from 37 earlier studies involving nearly 650,000 pregnancies with antidepressant use and nearly 25 million unexposed pregnancies.
