Autism Linked To Moms' Antidepressant Use
LatestNew research suggests that environmental factors may play a much bigger role in autism than previously believed — and one culprit may be antidepressants.
It’s a big week for autism research. According to the Times, a new twin study found that genetic factors are important in autism, but perhaps not as overwhelmingly important as scientists previously thought. Researchers looked at 192 pairs of fraternal and identical twins, in which one or both twins had autism. Using mathematical models, they found that 38% of the autism cases could be attributed to genetics — but in a full 58%, environmental factors were at play. This study didn’t elaborate on what environmental factors these might be, but another study in the same journal did. According to the Wall Street Journal, researchers found a link between a mother’s antidepressant use and giving birth to an autistic child. Specifically, “results indicated a doubling in risk of autism if the mother filled a prescription for antidepressants at any point in the year before delivery. The risk tripled if she filled the prescription during the first trimester of pregnancy.”