Paracetamol, a compound commonly found in painkillers, has been found to have no link with the foetus’ intellectual development. According to a recent Lancet report, taking paracetamol during pregnancy does not increase the risk of autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or intellectual disability. This comes after US President Donald Trump publicly claimed that painkillers are directly linked to autism in children in September 2025.
However, across 43 rigorous studies, there has been no such evidence found to date. Published in ‘The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Women’s Health,’ the recent report has been led by researchers from City St George’s, University of London.
Understanding paracetamol
Paracetamol or acetaminophen is the most commonly used analgesic and antipyretic during pregnancy. One of the primary solutions for pain relief and fever reduction, it is generally safer than non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and opioids, especially for individuals who are pregnant. The claims made by the US President were found to have stemmed from biased, outdated, and debunked studies.
The sibling difference
During a media interaction, Asma Khalil, professor of obstetrics and maternal foetal medicine at City St George’s, University of London, shared how the study of siblings helped clarify the debate. They explained that a team compared the pregnancies of mothers with more than one offspring, whether they had taken paracetamol, and did a sibling comparison study.
The results that compared the two siblings, on the basis on paracetamol exposure pre-birth, found that taking paracetamol had no link with the intellectual disability. However, several underlying factors, such as family history and genetic makeup, became larger players in the outcome.
The study tested data from 262,852 children who were assessed for autism, 335,255 for ADHD and 406,681 for intellectual disability. This test helped control for factors such as shared genetics, family environment, and long-term parent characteristics between siblings, usually unaccounted for in traditional studies.
“The message is clear – paracetamol remains a safe option during pregnancy when taken as guided. This is important as paracetamol is the first-line medication we recommend for pregnant women in pain or with a fever, and so they should feel reassured that they still have a safe option to relieve them of their symptoms,” explained Dr Khalil.
Backed by Dr Sanjay Gupte, former president of the Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecologists’ Society of India, reiterated that the study had cleared the confusion once and for all. “When the paracetamol controversy blew up in social media, some pregnant patients of mine, who had taken paracetamol to sort out pain and fever, had become extremely worried. I repeat, taken in the proper dose, there is no cause for concern,” he says, as quoted in an Indian Express report.
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