Perinatal selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and other antidepressant exposure effects on anxiety and depressive behaviors in offspring: A review of findings in humans and rodent models

•Perinatal SSRIs differentially impact offspring affective behaviors.•Maternal mood symptoms are important to consider in addition to SSRIs.•Sex/gender and age of offspring are important factors affecting outcomes.•Environmental and genetic factors need to be considered.•Further research is needed to determine perinatal SSRI effects on offspring. The developmental impact of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and other antidepressant treatments during gestation and postpartum on anxiety and depression behaviors in offspring is unclear. This review focuses on how perinatal exposure to SSRI and other antidepressant may have long term consequences for these affective behaviors during early childhood and beyond. Outcomes vary and consideration is given to methodological factors related to how early SSRI exposure affects developments studied in rodent models such as: a) between pre- and early post-natal SSRI exposure, b) sex, c) experimental models of gestational maternal stress and d) impact of non-SSRI antidepressant medications. We will also review how multiple contextual factors (maternal caregiving and gene x environment interactions) may contribute to the effects of perinatal SSRI exposure and maternal mental illness on affective behaviors in children.