Investigating the impact of antenatal exposure to maternal medication on pregnancy outcomes and offspring health, neurodevelopmental and educational outcomes

The use of medications during pregnancy can be unavoidable, yet their short and long-term effects on perinatal outcomes, child health and educational outcomes remain unclear. Mental health disorders are increasingly common in pregnant women, as in the general population. Evidence suggests that psychotropic medication use in pregnancy has also greatly increased in recent years. This study will employ a unique dataset linking Scottish and Welsh maternity databases (2010 onwards) with national prescribing data, child health records, and education databases. We will perform statistical analyses to assess associations between specific psychotropic medications and a wide range of outcomes including: pregnancy (birthweight, Apgar score, stillbirth), neonatal and childhood morbidity and mortality (neonatal, acute and psychiatric hospitalisations, cancer registrations, deaths and prescriptions), developmental milestones (health visitor records) and education (special educational needs, absenteeism, exclusion). These long-term outcomes carry significant individual and societal impact, affecting health, social care and education services. Our research will offer crucial information for pregnant women and clinicians alike.