A new study has revealed that consuming acetaminophen, also known as paracetamol, during pregnancy might be harmful for the child as it can increase the risk of developing attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Till now, paracetamol has been considered a safe option for pregnant women. The findings of the study were published in Nature Mental Health journal earlier this month.
According to the study, around 70 percent of pregnant women use acetaminophen during pregnancy if they have pain or a fever. The drug is one of the few options considered safe for them by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA).
The study was conducted by the researchers rom the University of Washington School of Medicine. The team maintains that there’s “accumulating evidence” of a potential link between prenatal exposure to the anti-inflammatory pain reliever and adverse neurological outcomes, which might also include autism spectrum disorder.
The researchers maintain that it’s time for the FDA to reevaluate whether acetaminophen really is low risk during pregnancy. During the study, the researchers tracked 307 women from 2006 to 2011 and examined their blood samples during their pregnancy and looked for plasma biomarkers for acetaminophen. Moreover, the researchers also tracked the babies the women had for the first eight to 10 years of their lives.
They found that the rate of ADHD was 9 percent for those who didn’t use the drug during pregnancy, but for those who did, the rate of ADHD among the offspring doubled to 18 percent.
“Acetaminophen metabolites were detected in 20.2% of maternal plasma samples. Children whose mothers had these biomarkers present in their plasma had a 3.15 times higher likelihood of an ADHD diagnosis compared with those without detected exposure,” the university said in a statement.
The scientists also found that the link was even more relevant stronger among daughters than sons. Daughters who were acetaminophen-exposed had a 6.16 times higher likelihood of ADHD. However, they couldn’t find a reason to explain the gender difference in the association.
“Another drug class such as triptans is safe and effective for managing migraines,” according to lead author Brennan Baker, a researcher at Seattle Children’s Research Institute. He also maintained that the outcomes have been not similar in different studies.
A recent study in Sweden found no link between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and ADHD. A recent study in Norway did find such a link. Baker noted that the study in Sweden used self-reported data, not the blood analysis that his team used to detect the presence of acetaminophen in blood.
“I think it goes back to how the data was collected,” Baker said in the release. “The conflicting results means more research is needed.”
The researchers emphasised that healthcare providers and pregnant women need to consider the risks and benefits in making decisions. They also added that more study is needed and alternative medication could be an option.
