To think that taking Sertraline when pregnant caused my son's ASD?

Both of my DSs have ASD. Ds1 has dyspraxia too, he is high achieving. Ds2 likely has an IQ of less than 70. They’re different in their presentation in some ways but similar in others.

I took any sickness meds with Ds1 but not Ds2, Ds2 had anti biotics before he turned 1yo, but DS1 didn’t, the list is endless. Ive never taken any depressants. They were both EMCS deliveries.

I don’t know a single other person in my immediate family or close friendship group with a child who is diagnosed with ND.

The OP isn't batshit at all. Swedish research in the BMJ suggests that antidepressants taken by those with psychiatric disorders compared to those with psychiatric disorders who don't take them might very slightly increase the chances of a child being autistic. I agree that ASD is mostly genetic as it is in our family - but we know it isn't always genetic and can be caused by spontaneous genetic mutations for example.

From the Study:
'This points to a potential effect of antidepressant use on the risk of autism beyond any effect caused by confounding by the underlying condition. It is important to note, however, that the absolute risk was small, and 4.1% of children exposed to antidepressants in utero had autism compared with 2.9% of those with a maternal history of psychiatric disorder. We estimated that only about 2% of autism cases in this population would be theoretically prevented, if the association was causal and no women with psychiatric disorders used antidepressants during pregnancy.'

The increase is very small though OP and it's just as possible that your child's ASD was just a spontaneous mutation, or that being ND runs through you or your OH's family but has just gone undiagnosed.

https://www.bmj.com/content/358/bmj.j2811

I disagree that its a brave thing to voice (via AIBU?)

Can I just say...

If OP / anyone is genuinely a parent of an Autistic child, and you have genuine concerns about your child, or issues relating to their Autism, then;

Visit the National Autism society online. Lots of information and support there.

Join one of the many brilliant Facebook support groups for parents of ND kids.

Ask questions on the dedicated SEN board on here.

Visit the GP or other medical professional to discuss any specific concerns.

Or see your GP about any personal anxiety issues.

Like the rest of us do.

For the love of God, don't post or question unfounded rubbish like this on AIBU. It is perpetuating tiresome old tropes and doesn't help anyone. As an Autistic woman with an Autistic child, this would be the last thing I'd do.

Who knows OP but I took Prozac for a couple of years then came off it., a few of years later volunteered for bone marrow/stem cell donation and was told that due to me taking Prozac, I wouldn’t be considered.

That's not fair. The OP wasn't saying SSRIs caused my child's autism, they were saying I've wondered and worried for a long time that I may have contributed to it, do you think it's true. That's a brave thing to voice. And also very normal - when a child is ill or born ND or with a disability, or there's an accident, people often blame themselves or try to look for reasons. It's human nature.

It’s hard but try not to blame yourself. I also
have 3 children and only my middle child has ASD. We tried to make sense of it and find something to blame (like I had a water birth with her, was overweight then, was using the mini pill (progesterone ) when I found out I was pregnant so had to stop quickly stop , she had a high fever when she was a month old and had a fit, etc) but I now realise that looking for something to blame will just rob one of the joys of life as one can’t move on.

When my dd was diagnosed, i did reflect and it made me realise that I’m most certainly ND as well. I have done well academically, always being called gifted whilst growing up , doing well at work but I’ve always struggled a lot socially. My dad was also 50 when I was born so that adds to my thought but no one in my family or extended family is diagnosed besides my dd.

However, just know It’s nothing you did or didn’t do. There’s no point speculating or putting blame on yourself.

I have two autistic children and have never taken ab anti dependent in my life, though I am probably autistic myself. It's not caused by anything you did or didn't do.

I have never taken any drugs for depression

My oldest ds has asd
My youngest ds does not

3 criteria’s needed for diagnosis.

@TheShellBeach You need to fit 3 criteria to be diagnosed with ASD, and it must ‘impair daily functioning’.

Why is it not conceivable that a NT person could fit 1 or 2 criteria, therefore having ‘autistic traits’ but not have all 3 (or it impairing daily functioning)?

Yep.

Schools are what are pushing ND to the fore. 25 years a secondary teacher. Got out a year or so ago. Secondary schools are awful.

@10storeylovesong
Re asthma both me and disis have it due to mum smoking like a chimney and during pregnancy. Both of us have ND traits. She is academically gifted and went through a ED phase. I dont think i took asthma steroids in pregnancy though dsis did. But i did have some severe colds and would have taken ventolin etc. My dc are both ND and hers NT (but did show some ND traits as toddlers.). None of them are asthmatic.

I would say the expression and development of ND traits has been worse due to uk state schools. Large classes, lot of poor behaviour. Little proper exercise. And now no movement of children who are ahead academically with harder work.
Certainly at secondary the mean behaviour of groups of kids is off the scale.

And yes the specific epilspsy meds does show what we call asd can also be caused by meds.

I have never taken any kind of AD and my DS has autism.

Honestly it's genetic. They just haven't figured the details out.

FGS you're either ND or NT.

It's one or the other. NT people do not have traits of autism.

Yes x 1,000,000!!

Someone has already mentioned sodium valproate, the troubling thing about this case in particular is that it was prescribed to pregnant women even though the doctors knew it could caused brain damage to the foetus. It does make I hard to trust doctors and ideally it’s best to avoid all unnecessary medication when pregnant as the effects on the foetus are usually unknown. However you need this medication and the ASD is likely caused by something else.

THIS!!!!!!!!!!!

Sick. To. Fuck. Of. These. Threads.

For the love of Christ. I am Audhd. So are four of my five children. I’m really sick of the idea that it’s caused by women being a shit mum while you’re pregnant or the fact the internet exists. I was 42 before I was diagnosed, I’ve lived my entire life being told I’m over sensitive, I’ve suffered with depression, anxiety, I’ve attempted suicide multiple times starting at 15.

What you’ve outlined in your OP is NOT what ‘causes’ autism. It’s simple genetics. Think before you speak on this again please.

@TheShellBeach

I am not sure I agree that NT can’t have ‘autistic traits’. I share a number of traits with my autistic & ADHD son, but I would not say my traits are severe enough to be diagnosed with autism. In fact, it’s why he was diagnosed later, because I saw much of myself in him (albeit he is more ‘severe’ than I). I do not feel my life is impacted at all by my traits - I don’t fit the ‘impair everyday functioning criteria’ of the DSM-5. However, those around me would definitely agree I have traits.

I think a NT person with traits, or someone on the borderline of a diagnosis, could have a child with the same traits but more severe, thus pushing them over the threshold for diagnosis.

The fact that 12% of people agree with the frankly batshit OP shows nicely why the UK is fucked

Mine wasn’t quirky. And the meltdowns stopped about 5 or 6.

l feel mine has vanished overnight. She sailed through primary and years 7 and 8. Then lockdown in Years 9 and 10 seemed to change her. She got her GCSE’s. But refused school 1/2 way through y12.

Now has an E HCP, but too exhausted for school.

She literally went from getting 9 GCSE’s to crashing out of school 7 months later.

............ in my own head there is very much a spectrum and number of traits (also shared with NT people)

No. NT people don't have any traits of autism.

If they did, they wouldn't be NT.

Interesting.

Makes some sense, people finding others who "get" them & understand their ND traits and behaviours as similar to their own ... get married, have kids ... stronger probabilities of the ND genes.

shell I don’t disagree that this is current scientific thinking. But in my own head there is very much a spectrum and number of traits (also shared with NT people).

my DD hasn’t even got a formal diagnosis as she doesn’t want one but she is clearly exhibiting neurodiversity to me

arse we didn’t even have that. Zero meltdowns. Not even quirky. It was literally as if my child vanished overnight.

Ok Dr ShellBeach
re 2007- take your pick for more recent studies & metaanalyses

re high/low functioning – did you even read? how can you possibly disagree that these 2 categories exist – "high-functioning autism (defined by the absence of a recorded comorbid intellectual disability, IQ<70 by international and Swedish convention) and low-functioning autism (defined by the presence of a recorded comorbid intellectual disability)."