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Paracetamol during pregnancy may be dangerous to the fetus

The largest review of research over 25 years has found that a popular pain and fever reliever during pregnancy should be taken with great caution. The results were published in the journal Nature Reviews Endocrinology.

Paracetamol during pregnancy may be dangerous to the fetus 11520

Paracetamol (acetaminophen) is considered the safest antipyretic and mild to moderate pain reliever during pregnancy, provided it is used in the lowest dosage possible and only as recommended. In their publication, scientists from the University of Massachusetts mentioned that expectant mothers often abuse the drug, taking paracetamol for a variety of types of pain and not observing the dosage. This threatens various complications for the fetus.

To gain more data on the effects of excessive acetaminophen use, the researchers reviewed studies on the drug's use in pregnant women published from 2995 to 2020. The team collected all scientific papers, including results from animal tests and laboratory experiments, focusing mainly on 29 observational studies involving more than 220 thousand women and their children.

As a result, scientists found evidence that taking paracetamol during during pregnancy may be associated with disorders of the development of the fetal nervous system, which can lead to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and behavioral difficulties in the child.

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Some studies have evaluated acetaminophen dosing and dosage regimens, and the results suggest an increased risk of developmental problems with repeated use of painkillers during pregnancy.

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Several observational studies have also shown that there is an association between paracetamol use during pregnancy and genitourinary and reproductive tract abnormalities in boys.

“Based on these results, we believe we know enough to be concerned about the potential developmental risks associated with prenatal acetaminophen exposure and therefore urge women to take precautions,” wrote the authors of the review.

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