Long-Term Use Of Acetaminophen During Pregnancy Linked To Higher Risk Of Autism, ADHD
September 23, 2018
“This article was re-published with permission from NoCamels.com – Israeli Innovation News.
Acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol and Paracetamol among other over-the-counter pain relievers, is generally safe to use during pregnancy and is considered the go-to pain and anti-fever medication during gestation. According to the US Food and Drug Administration’s rating system, acetaminophen is safer than ibuprofen and much safer than aspirin for pregnant women.
But a number of studies in recent years have linked acetaminophen use in pregnancy to neuro-developmental disorders in children. According to a 2013 study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, children exposed prenatally to acetaminophen, for more than 28 days, were at higher risk of behavioral problems, language delays, and poor motor development at age three. Another study, which looked at a sample size of over 64,000 children published by JAMA Pediatrics in 2014, cited an increased risk of ADHD-like behaviors in children of mothers who took acetaminophen past the first trimester.
The research, led by Dr. Ilan Matok at the Institute for Drug Research in the School of Pharmacy at the Hebrew University’s Faculty of Medicine, and doctoral student Reem Masarwa, found that prolonged exposure to acetaminophen during pregnancy was associated with a 30 percent increase in relative risk for ADHD (compared to those who did not take acetaminophen during pregnancy) and a 20 percent increase in relative risk for ASD. It was published in April in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
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