Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors during pregnancy and risk of autismSelective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) are increasingly used in the treatment of depression and anxiety disorders. Depression is common in pregnancy and SSRIs are often prescribed in these circumstances. As SSRIs cross the placenta there are potential foetal and infantile hazards. In particular, the risk of autism in the offspring has been raised.This has prompted this cohort study of all singleton live births in Denmark from 1996 through 2005 (676,875), with follow-up through 2009. Information on maternal use of SSRIs before and during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorders diagnosed in the offspring was obtained from Danish population registries.The conclusions were that the researchers "did not detect a significant association between maternal use of SSRIs during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorder in the offspring. On the basis of the upper boundary of the confidence interval, our study could not rule out a relative risk up to 1.61, and therefore the association warrants further study."N Engl J Med 2013;369:2406-15.Does perinatal probiotic supplementation prevent asthma and childhood wheeze?Recent increases in asthma prevalence could be related to disruption of the infant gut microbiota and associated immune system dysfunction; therefore, perinatal probiotics have been proposed as a novel prevention strategy.This report from Canada concerns a meta-analysis which examines this hypothesis. It analyses evidence from 20 randomised controlled trials evaluating probiotic supplements administered to mothers during pregnancy or to healthy infants during the first year of life. The primary outcome sought was doctor diagnosed asthma.The median age at final follow-up was 24 months. The conclusions reached were that probiotic supplementation in pregnancy or infancy did not protect against asthma or childhood wheeze.BMJ 2013;347:f6471.Salty food and hypertensionExcess salt intake increases blood pressure (BP). Identifying individuals with excess salt intake is, therefore, important for the prevention of hypertension. Measurement of urinary sodium excretion is a reliable method of evaluating salt intake. These researchers have recently reported that the frequency of salty food intake measured subjectively was positively associated with urinary sodium excretion in individuals who underwent a general health examination.970 non-hypertensive subjects (mean age 44 years) were asked about their subjective frequency of salty foods intake (seldom, sometimes or always), and they were divided into three groups according to their answers. Hypertension was defined as systolic/diastolic BP ≥ 140/90 mmHg or use of antihypertensive medications.At 4 year follow-up there were no significant differences in the incidence of hypertension in the three groups. Further investigations, particularly a longer follow-up time, may be interesting.Internal Medicine Journal 2013;43:1316-21

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors during pregnancy and risk of autismSelective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) are increasingly used in the treatment of depression and anxiety disorders. Depression is common in pregnancy and SSRIs are often prescribed in these circumstances. As SSRIs cross the placenta there are potential foetal and infantile hazards. In particular, the risk of autism in the offspring has been raised.This has prompted this cohort study of all singleton live births in Denmark from 1996 through 2005 (676,875), with follow-up through 2009. Information on maternal use of SSRIs before and during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorders diagnosed in the offspring was obtained from Danish population registries.The conclusions were that the researchers "did not detect a significant association between maternal use of SSRIs during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorder in the offspring. On the basis of the upper boundary of the confidence interval, our study could not rule out a relative risk up to 1.61, and therefore the association warrants further study."N Engl J Med 2013;369:2406-15.Does perinatal probiotic supplementation prevent asthma and childhood wheeze?Recent increases in asthma prevalence could be related to disruption of the infant gut microbiota and associated immune system dysfunction; therefore, perinatal probiotics have been proposed as a novel prevention strategy.This report from Canada concerns a meta-analysis which examines this hypothesis. It analyses evidence from 20 randomised controlled trials evaluating probiotic supplements administered to mothers during pregnancy or to healthy infants during the first year of life. The primary outcome sought was doctor diagnosed asthma.The median age at final follow-up was 24 months. The conclusions reached were that probiotic supplementation in pregnancy or infancy did not protect against asthma or childhood wheeze.BMJ 2013;347:f6471.Salty food and hypertensionExcess salt intake increases blood pressure (BP). Identifying individuals with excess salt intake is, therefore, important for the prevention of hypertension. Measurement of urinary sodium excretion is a reliable method of evaluating salt intake. These researchers have recently reported that the frequency of salty food intake measured subjectively was positively associated with urinary sodium excretion in individuals who underwent a general health examination.970 non-hypertensive subjects (mean age 44 years) were asked about their subjective frequency of salty foods intake (seldom, sometimes or always), and they were divided into three groups according to their answers. Hypertension was defined as systolic/diastolic BP ≥ 140/90 mmHg or use of antihypertensive medications.At 4 year follow-up there were no significant differences in the incidence of hypertension in the three groups. Further investigations, particularly a longer follow-up time, may be interesting.Internal Medicine Journal 2013;43:1316-21