Prenatal depression and psychotropics in offspring asthma and atopic dermatitis

BACKGROUND: The associations of prenatal maternal depression and exposure to antidepressants and benzodiazepines/Z-drugs with the risks of offspring asthma and atopic dermatitis are unclear. METHODS: The data from 1369 child-mother dyads with maternal depression and 13 690 birth year- and sex-matched child-mother dyads without maternal depression for the period from 2002 to 2009 were selected. Prenatal exposure to antidepressants and benzodiazepines/Z-drugs was also considered. All children were followed from their birth date to the end of 2011 to identify the development of asthma and atopic dermatitis. RESULTS: The offspring of mothers with depression were more likely to develop atopic dermatitis (hazard ratio [HR], 1.16) and asthma (HR, 1.12) during the follow-up period relative to the control group. Prenatal exposure to benzodiazepines/Z-drugs was strongly associated with an increased risk (HR, 1.27) of offspring asthma. However, prenatal exposure to antidepressants was not associated with increased risks of offspring asthma and atopic dermatitis. CONCLUSION: The mechanisms underlying the complex relationship between maternal depression, exposure to benzodiazepines/Z-drugs, and the risk of offspring atopy warrant further investigation.