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Written question asked by Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party) on Wednesday, 29 October 2025, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 3 November 2025. It was answered by Zubir Ahmed (Labour) on Monday, 10 November 2025 on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.

Antidepressants: Pregnancy

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has undertaken research into the potential impact of anti-depressants during pregnancy on unborn babies.

Answer

The Department through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), has funded research into this topic. Examples of relevant research include a study exploring antidepressant use during pregnancy to assess the benefits to mothers and long-term neurodevelopmental risks to children, and a project which aimed to create a computerised decision support tool to guide discussions between doctors and pregnant women about medication risks and benefits, ensuring a balance between maternal health and foetal protection.

In addition, the NIHR has supported research which investigated Neonatal Adaptation Syndrome, a cluster of symptoms like jitteriness and feeding difficulties, in babies exposed to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or selective noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors antidepressants in utero. This research aimed to understand the experiences of mothers and monitoring practices.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
86202
Session
2024-26
Subjects
Pregnancy Impact assessments Antidepressants
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk