In March of 2017, a research group published a study in the joural "European Psychiatry" that was a meta-analysis and systemic review of the relationship between maternal SSRI exposure and the risk of autism in the offspring of those mothers. The paper concluded that:
The evidence from the present study suggests that prenatal exposure to SSRIs is associate with a higher risk of ASD
This conclusion was based on a review of seven epidemiological studies published in the literature that looking into the association between the use of SSRIs, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, during pregancy and the risk of having a child on the autism spectrum.
Just this year, a separate study was published in JAMA Pediatrics finding that:
Prenatal SSRI expsoure has an association with fetal brain development, particularly in brain regions critical to emotional processing
These are not the first studies to suggest that SSRI exposure during brain development can negatively impact brain function in ways that resemble ASD. The list of relevant drugs includes is provided below. If you were prescribed one or more of these drugs while pregnant and have a child suffering from autism or a related injury, please CONTACT US by filling out the form below.
- Celexa®
- Lexapro®
- Prozac®
- Luvox®
- Paxil®
- Zoloft®
- Pristine®
- Cymbalta®
- Effexor®/Effexor XR®
- Savella®
- Fetzima®
Nidel & Nace, PLLC has started filing cases on behalf of parents and children that may have been impacted by these drugs. We currently have filed five cases on behalf of mothers and their children who took the antidepressant escitalopram (Lexapro) during pregnancy and have been diagnosed with ASD. As our litigation continues, we are interested in hearing from parents of children that have been diagnosed with autism spectrum diseases.
If you are a parent with a child that has been diagnosed with an autism spectrum condition and believe that it may be attributable to the use of an SSRI antidepressant during pregnancy, we ask that you please complete the adjacent form.
You may have a claim against the manufacturers or distributors of these potentially dangerous drugs.
