From New York Post: “Taking antidepressants such as Prozac during pregnancy can affect the childâs brain development and potentially lead to them having mental health disorders later in life, a new study warns.
The research, published Friday in the journal Nature Communications, is said to be the first study to provide evidence of the direct impact of serotonin, a feel-good hormone, on the fetal development of the prefrontal cortex, a key part of the brain.
. . . ‘While it is known that serotonin plays a role in the brain development, the mechanisms responsible for this influence, specifically in the prefrontal cortex, have been unclear,’ lead study author Won Chan Oh, an assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacology at CU Anschutz, explained in a statement.
. . . Oh and his team evaluated the effect of too much and too little serotonin on the brain development in mice.
They found that serotonin heavily influences how connections between neurons change and adapt, contributing to the brainâs ability to learn and adjust.
Disrupting these connections during early development can spur various mental health disorders, the team determined.”
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