For years, paracetamol has been considered the safest pain relief option during pregnancy.
Yet confusion grew in 2025 after public warnings suggested that taking the common painkiller might raise the risk of autism or ADHD in children.
Health authorities around the world quickly pushed back, saying the claim was unsupported by solid evidence.
Still, the debate left many parents uncertain about what to believe.
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Nine systematic reviews
According to a recent umbrella review published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), researchers examined hundreds of scientific papers investigating the potential link between prenatal paracetamol use and neurodevelopmental outcomes.
After filtering for quality, only nine systematic reviews met the criteria, covering 40 original studies.
The analysis revealed major weaknesses in much of the previous research.
Many studies failed to control for factors such as family genetics, maternal health, or environmental influences. Others used inconsistent methods or incomplete data.
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When the strongest studies were isolated, especially those comparing siblings within the same families, the suggested connection between paracetamol use and developmental disorders disappeared entirely.
What it means for expectant mothers
The BMJ review concludes that there is no reliable evidence showing that paracetamol causes autism or ADHD when taken during pregnancy.
Researchers noted that earlier signals of risk were likely due to study bias rather than any true biological effect.
Medical experts continue to advise that pregnant women use paracetamol only when necessary and at the lowest effective dose, but the findings offer reassurance for millions who rely on it for pain or fever relief.
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Sources: News-medical, and British Medical Journal.
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This article is made and published by Ida-Marie Palm Varbæk, who may have used AI in the preparation.