A large population cohort study has found that children of mothers with depression have higher rates of neurodevelopmental disorders and special educational needs compared with children not exposed to maternal depression, irrespective of whether the mother took antidepressants during pregnancy. The findings are published in PLOS Medicine.
The study followed more than 167,000 children born in Wales between 2009 and 2016, tracking outcomes until 2022 using linked medical and school records. Researchers examined associations between maternal depression diagnoses or antidepressant use during pregnancy and neurodevelopmental outcomes in children, including autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and learning, behavioural, emotional, or social difficulties requiring special educational needs support.
Among children of mothers with depression who were not treated with antidepressants, 24 in every 100 had special educational needs, compared with 20 in every 100 among children with no prenatal exposure to depression or antidepressants. Children of mothers who took antidepressants during pregnancy showed a further increase of approximately 3 additional cases per 100, though the authors note this difference may reflect greater depression severity in treated mothers rather than a direct effect of medication.
The researchers emphasise that the modest increase in risk associated with antidepressant use must be weighed against the well-documented risks of untreated depression during pregnancy, which include higher rates of postnatal depression and adverse outcomes for both mother and infant. The authors do not recommend that women stop antidepressant treatment based on these findings, and encourage shared decision-making with a clinician.
The study also suggests that prenatal antidepressant exposure could serve as a marker for children who may benefit from additional educational support.
Source: McIlvride S et al. Prenatal exposure to maternal depression and antidepressants and neurodevelopmental outcomes: A population cohort study. PLOS Medicine (2026). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1004658
