A study has ruled that women taking antidepressants during pregnancy do not increase the risk of their child developing autism or ADHD.

The research, published by the Indiana University, found that taking such medication would only slightly (1.3 times) increase the risk of premature birth.

The results conflict with a number of other studies which concluded that antidepressants can cause an increased risk of autism.

Recently, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that antidepressants did increase the risk of developing the condition by some 81 per cent.

“To our knowledge, this is one of the strongest studies to show that exposure to antidepressants during early pregnancy is not associated with autism, ADHD or poor fetal growth when taking into account the factors that lead to medication use in the first place,” said Brian D’Onofrio, lead researcher at the Indiana university.

“Balancing the risks and benefits of using antidepressants during pregnancy is an extremely difficult decision that every woman should make in consultation with her doctor.

“However, this study suggests use of these medications while pregnant may be safer than previously thought.”