For many pregnant women, common pain or fever can lead to uncertainty about which medication is safe to use.
Paracetamol has long been recommended by doctors, but previous studies have raised questions about possible risks to a child’s development.
This has led some people to avoid the medication altogether.
Uncertainty in the debate
Concern arose in particular after studies showed small statistical associations between paracetamol use during pregnancy and diagnoses such as autism and ADHD.
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According to researchers from City St George’s, University of London, many of these studies were based on weak methodologies.
They did not account for the fact that factors such as genetics, pain, or fever in the mother can themselves affect a child’s development.
This created a need for a more thorough review of the overall body of research.
How the study was conducted
A new study published in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology reviewed 43 previous studies and data from several hundred thousand children.
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One key element was the comparison of siblings within the same family.
Children whose mother had used paracetamol during one pregnancy were compared with siblings from pregnancies in which she had not.
This method is often used in research because it can better distinguish between the effects of medication and shared family factors.
Only high-quality studies were given weight, and the results were consistent across the analyses.
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What do the results show?
The overall conclusion is that no evidence was found that paracetamol use during pregnancy increases the risk of autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability.
The researchers emphasize that the analysis cannot draw firm conclusions about dosage or timing during pregnancy, as this information is often lacking.
However, the results support current recommendations that paracetamol can continue to be used during pregnancy in accordance with a doctor’s guidance.
Sources: Science Daily, and The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology.
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