Studies in mice show a link between antidepressants taken during pregnancy and their offspring being diagnosed with autism. An international team with Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore in charge has discovered a possible relationship between common antidepressant fluoxetine and autistic-like characteristic in adult mice. Fluoxetine comes under brand names Sarafem and Prozac. The study was published in the Molecular Brain journal. Collaborators in the research come from South Korea and Singapore.

Since the 1980s, people throughout the world have been able to access antidepressants that they have used to treat depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and a host of other psychiatrist disorders. Some of the most commonly used antidepressants are escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), fluvoxamine (Luvox), paroxetine (Paxil), citalopram (Celexa) and Duloxetine (Cymbalta).

Over this time, prescription of these drugs has more than doubled, which in itself is a cause of concern. While they have worked to reduce depression symptoms, they have also been noted to have

Depression is a severe mental disorder that’s becoming common across the world. While it’s frequent occurrence would be expected to prompt immediate and strong action to mitigate effects and manage the condition, depression continues to negatively affect quality of life, the ability to work, and it’s also the reason for the increase in suicide risk. And as all these things go on, the treatment options available for depression are not satisfactory and even when treatment is prescribed, the side effects of the medications prescribed aren’t well addressed.

One of the biggest side effects of taking antidepressants is insomnia and other sleep-related problems.  Most of the patients