Having taken antidepressants while pregnant and having a child with ASD I have to wonder was there really any other choice? Being pregnant is not a time to change medications and not taking medications is simply not an option for some people. I had no way of knowing when or if I would become pregnant so my depression was my main concern. I was told that the medication had yielded no reportable problems and was concencered safe with minimal risks and that my risks going off the meds far out weighed that of to the child.

So did we really have any choice at all but to take the medication to ensure our own safety and mental health? I think not. I could not have managed without medication.

I went to the nation's top hospital to get advice about the possible risks to my child if I was on my medications while pregnant. I was advised that the benefits of being on the drugs far outweighed any possible known risk to the baby. Had the doctor said anything different, I would not have had a child at all, because going off my medications was not a viable option. I took both Luvox and Wellbutrin throughout my pregnancy. My son was born with a VSD (congenital heart defect) and has ASD. Not sure I would have gotten pregnant had I known there was an elevated risk of either of these.

I was not on any medications while pregnant with my son who is now 18 years old with "classic" autism. I am a RH negative mom and did receive a shot while pregnant with him and that shot did contain thermisol..... the preservative which contains mercury... I believe that has played an important triggering piece in my son's autism puzzle.

Any potential causes of autism should certainly be addressed. But only a few of those who have children with autism took SSRIs during pregnancy. I never in my life took them until 4 yrs after my child was born, and it was the autism that triggered the need. Please do not assume if a child has autism that mother took SSRIs. It is but 1 potential link out there, along with vaccines.

There has long been a link between a family history of depression and having children with autism. THIS is the explanation for the link between anti-depressants and children with autism. You are more likely to have a child with autism whether you take the medication or not, so if you need it, don't skip it. I am the parent of an autistic child. I didn't take anti-depressants during or for three years before pregnancy but I do have a family history of depression. My daughter is autistic and she is a happy, fun adorable girl. She loves music and puzzles and learned numbers and letters before she was two! All children have challenges. Frankly, the diagnosis of autism is a relief compared to some other more-life threatening conditions that present with similar symptoms at an early age. My daughter has received excellent services from the local infant and toddler's program and will be going to a special public school preschool in the fall. There are resources out there and a huge support network of parents of children with autism. If you end up having a child with autism, it is not the end of the world but the beginning of an amazing adventure. I wouldn't trade my daughter for the world.

I would not necessarily say that the antidepressants caused my child's autism as there is definitely a genetic link to autism. But one theroery that is being considered is that by taking antidepressants you kindle or increase the chances of a child already predisposed to autism. In short my child may have had autism without my medications, however my medications just activated the autism mutation that was already there. Much like the marijuana use and schizophrenia.