Breastfeeding mothers can feel reassured by a new, long-term study that found that taking antidepressants does not negatively impact their children's brain development.
The Swedish study followed 97 pairs of mothers and children for nearly two decades, all of whom agreed to expose the children to antidepressants during pregnancy.
The goal was to compare the cognitive abilities between children exposed to SSRI antidepressants through their mother's milk and in the womb, with those whose exposure ceased at birth.
Verbal intelligence
According to "Medical Express," verbal intelligence and performance tests showed that exposure to SSRI antidepressants through mother's milk did not result in a lower IQ, with scores similar to children who were not exposed.
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) are a common type of antidepressant prescribed for conditions such as depression, anxiety, and bulimia.
How do the medications work?
These drugs work by maintaining the activity of serotonin - a neurotransmitter that regulates mood - in the brain.
Normally, after serotonin transmits a signal between neurons, it is reabsorbed through a process called reuptake, but Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors block this process, ensuring that serotonin remains available.
Using medications during pregnancy
The effects of maternal use of these medications during pregnancy on children's cognitive development have been extensively studied, and most research shows little or no effect.
However, not much is known about the exposure to Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors during breastfeeding.
Researchers from the Swedish Karolinska Institute investigated in the new study using standardized IQ tests.
Assessing children's intelligence
Children who were breastfed and not exposed to these drugs postnatally scored an average score of 109, while children who were breastfed and exposed to the medications scored slightly lower at 106.
These results indicate that additional exposure to Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors through breastfeeding was not associated with a reduced IQ.
