Large U.S. Study Links Common Pregnancy Medications to Increased Autism Risk in Children

Researchers analyzing more than six million births report higher autism rates among children exposed in utero to certain widely prescribed drugs.

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom

A large-scale study examining U.S. birth data has identified an association between the use of several commonly prescribed medications during pregnancy and an increased likelihood of autism diagnoses in children, according to findings highlighted in a recent report.

The research, published in Molecular Psychiatry, evaluated more than six million births and focused on 15 medications frequently prescribed in the United States, including antidepressants, cardiovascular drugs, and cholesterol-lowering statins. These medications collectively account for hundreds of millions of prescriptions annually.

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Investigators found that exposure to at least one of the identified medications during pregnancy was associated with a 47% relative increase in the likelihood of an autism diagnosis. The analysis also indicated that the risk rose as the number of medications increased, with exposure to four or more linked to more than double the baseline risk.

The study reported that approximately 700,000 pregnant women—about 11% of those included in the dataset—were prescribed at least one of the medications examined. Among the roughly 235,000 children diagnosed with autism, about 15% had been exposed to one or more of these drugs during gestation.

Researchers noted a pattern in which each additional medication was associated with a 1.33-fold increase in autism risk, with cumulative exposure amplifying the observed effect. The strongest individual association was identified with the antipsychotic cariprazine, which was linked to a 2.59-fold increase in risk after adjusting for other variables.

The medications analyzed included sertraline, fluoxetine, bupropion, buspirone, aripiprazole, cariprazine, haloperidol, trazodone, metoprolol, propranolol, nebivolol, atorvastatin, simvastatin, rosuvastatin, and pravastatin.

According to the findings summarized in the report, the strength of the associations corresponded with each drug’s impact on a specific step in cholesterol production identified in prior laboratory studies. Researchers suggested that disruption of cholesterol synthesis during pregnancy may be a contributing factor, particularly during early fetal development.

Cholesterol plays a critical role in cellular structure and brain development, and fetal production begins later in pregnancy. The study raised the possibility that interference with maternal cholesterol processes during earlier stages could affect neurological development.

To evaluate whether the findings were specific to these medications, researchers conducted a comparison analysis using commonly prescribed prenatal treatments that do not affect cholesterol synthesis, including medications for allergies, gastrointestinal conditions, and iron deficiency. Those drugs showed smaller associations with autism risk, with adjusted increases ranging from 2% to 17%.

The study also reported that the proportion of pregnant women prescribed at least one of the identified medications increased from 4.6% in 2014 to 16.8% in 2023.

Separately, federal health officials have examined potential environmental and pharmaceutical factors related to autism. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. previously referenced findings that included prenatal exposure to certain medications and nutritional deficiencies as areas of concern.

Additional research has explored potential associations between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and neurodevelopmental outcomes. One study reported a possible link, while legal claims have been filed alleging connections between the drug and developmental conditions. However, a federal court ruling in 2023 found that the scientific evidence presented in those cases did not meet reliability standards.

The findings from the latest study add to ongoing research into prenatal exposures and developmental outcomes, with investigators emphasizing the need for further analysis to better understand the observed associations and underlying mechanisms.