Headlines about antidepressants in pregnancy and autism have worried many expecting parents, especially since a U.S. Food and Drug Administration expert panel discussed SSRIs and pregnancy in July 2025. Two major 2026 publications give the clearest picture yet. The short version: the small links between antidepressants in pregnancy and autism or ADHD largely faded when researchers accounted for the parent’s own mental health and family factors, and experts continue to say that treating depression during pregnancy matters.
The Largest Review So Far
A systematic review and meta-analysis in The Lancet Psychiatry (June 2026) combined 37 studies covering 648,626 pregnancies exposed to antidepressants and nearly 25 million unexposed pregnancies.
At First Glance, a Small Link
When the researchers simply pooled the results, children exposed to antidepressants before birth had a modestly higher chance of:
- ADHD: about 35% higher relative risk
- Autism spectrum disorder: about 69% higher relative risk
There was no link with intellectual disability, motor disorders or speech and language disorders.
Then the Link Largely Disappeared
Depression, anxiety and neurodevelopmental conditions all run in families and share genetic roots. So the key question is whether the medication or the underlying condition explains the difference. Several findings point to the condition:
- The associations shrank or were no longer significant when studies accounted for the mother’s mental health, family and genetic factors, and misclassification.
- Similar links appeared for antidepressant use before conception, when the fetus was not exposed.
- Fathers’ antidepressant use during pregnancy, which cannot expose the fetus, was also linked to higher ADHD and autism risk. This kind of comparison is called a negative control, and it suggests family factors rather than the drug.
- Higher doses were not linked to higher autism risk than lower doses.
- When confounding was minimized, no individual SSRI or SNRI was significantly linked to ADHD or autism. Two older tricyclic antidepressants, amitriptyline and nortriptyline, still showed associations.
The Honest Caveats
The authors rated the certainty of the evidence as low to very low, because all the studies were observational and results varied widely. That means the review cannot prove there is zero risk. It does mean the concern about SSRIs causing autism is not supported by the best available data. The authors concluded that antidepressant treatment should be continued for pregnant women with moderate to severe depression.
What Leading Perinatal Psychiatrists Say
A review in JAMA Psychiatry, published August 12, 2026, by experts in perinatal psychiatry and drug safety, reached a similar conclusion. They note that about 5% to 6% of pregnant patients in the U.S. take SSRIs, and that once the effects of the medication are separated from the effects of depression itself, the accumulated evidence suggests SSRIs carry little or no risk of serious harm. They also point out that psychiatric conditions are a leading cause of maternal illness and death, and that stopping medication can cause problems for people with moderate to severe depression.
That lines up with a July 2026 study from Kaiser Permanente, which found stopping antidepressants in pregnancy was linked to more postpartum depression.
Has the FDA Changed Anything?
As of mid-September 2026, we found no FDA label change or new warning about SSRIs in pregnancy. The July 2025 expert panel was a discussion, not a regulatory decision. If that changes, the guidance on this site will be updated.
What This Means for You
- Don’t stop your medication because of a headline. Stopping suddenly can bring back depression and cause withdrawal symptoms.
- Make the decision with your prescriber, weighing how severe your depression has been against what is known about your specific medication.
- Ask about your specific drug: Zoloft, Lexapro, Prozac and Wellbutrin each have their own pregnancy and breastfeeding data.
- Remember that untreated depression has risks too, for you and your baby. See depression during pregnancy.
For a full overview of the options, read antidepressants during pregnancy.
Find a perinatal mental health therapist
Call or text the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262), 24 hours a day. If you have thoughts of harming yourself, call or text 988.
Sources
- Chan JKN, Zhong AHF, Lam JYH, Wong CSM, Solmi M, Correll CU, Chang WC. “Maternal and paternal antidepressant use before and during pregnancy and offspring risk of neurodevelopmental disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis.” The Lancet Psychiatry. 2026;13(6):472-484. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(26)00089-1.
- Wisner KL, Oberlander TF, Osborne LM, Huybrechts KF. “Depression and SSRI Treatment During Pregnancy – Prioritizing Maternal Mental Health.” JAMA Psychiatry. Published online August 12, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2026.2405.
- Ridout KK, Eswarappa C, Alavi M, et al. “Antidepressant continuation in pregnancy and postpartum depression risk across racial and ethnic groups.” American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Published online July 31, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2026.07.031.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “FDA Expert Panel on Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) and Pregnancy.” July 21, 2025. https://www.fda.gov/patients/fda-expert-panels/fda-expert-panel-selective-serotonin-reuptake-inhibitors-ssris-and-pregnancy-07212025.