A study conducted by the University of Manitoba has found children whose mothers took particular antidepressants while pregnant are struggling with early development.

The study took two groups of children with mothers who have mood and/or anxiety disorders. The groups looked at mothers who were prescribed antidepressants and ones who were not and compared their children's development in kindergarten.

Looking specifically at selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), doctors found 10 per cent of pregnant women have been prescribed the medication.

The study notes that while the medication may be necessary for many mothers, it has lasting effects.

Looking at the group of children whose mothers were prescribed the antidepressants, the study looked at five categories of development in kindergarten-aged children who were born the years 1996-2014.

Over 3,000 children of mothers with mood and/or anxiety disorders were tested.

Researchers used the Early Development Instrument (EDI) to categorize, a tool that is used to predict future academic success.

The study looked at:

  • physical health and well-being
  • language and cognitive development
  • social competence
  • emotional maturity
  • community skills and general knowledge

They found the majority of children whose mothers took the drugs were more likely to score low in two or more of these categories, particularly in language and cognitive development.