Cognitive Outcomes of Children Exposed to Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors Through Breast Milk

Is maternal treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) during breastfeeding associated with cognitive performance of the offspring?This cohort study of 97 children who were exposed to maternal treatment with SSRIs during pregnancy with or without exposure during breastfeeding underwent testing with the Wechsler Scales of Preschool and Primary Intelligence. Fully adjusted mean full-scale, verbal, and performance IQ scores were similar among breastfed children exposed to SSRIs, breastfed children not exposed to SSRIs, and nonbreastfed children.These findings suggest that maternal treatment with SSRIs during breastfeeding does not affect the cognitive performance of the offspring.

Corresponding Author: Essi Whaites Heinonen, MD, PhD, Department of Pediatrics, Karolinska Institutet Huddinge, Blickagången 6A, 14157 Huddinge, Sweden (essi.heinonen@ki.se).

Link to the article in your story

We encourage you to link out to this article in your story using the link below. It includes an access token that will give free access to the article for your readers up to one year after publication. (The link will be live after the article publishes and embargo is lifted.)

Please see the article for additional information, including full author list, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support.

Need more information? Contact us.