A new study co-authored by Professor William Bobo, M.D., MPH, draws on data from the Mayo Clinic’s Rochester Epidemiology Project to explore the effects of serotonergic antidepressant use during pregnancy on children’s mental health.

The findings show that children born to mothers who used common antidepressants during pregnancy did not have an increased risk of developing depression or anxiety. Their risk was comparable to that of children whose mothers either did not take antidepressants or discontinued them before pregnancy. 

The results suggest that any elevated risk of these disorders in children is more likely tied to the mother’s underlying mental health rather than the medication itself.