BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - A recent study published in the JAMA Network sheds light on the debate surrounding the use of acetaminophen, also known as paracetamol, during pregnancy.
The study, titled 'Acetaminophen Use During Pregnancy and Children's Risk of Autism, ADHD, and Intellectual Disability,' examined data from over 2.4 million children born in Sweden between 1995 and 2019, with follow-up until December 2021.
By focusing on sibling pairs, the research explored prenatal acetaminophen exposure among children with parents who smoked during pregnancy, had lower socioeconomic status, and previous neurodevelopmental disorder diagnoses - factors that are potential risk factors for ADHD and autism.
The study provides fresh evidence on this controversial topic, as previous studies had linked acetaminophen use during pregnancy to an increased risk of autism, ADHD, and intellectual disability.
However, this recent research, utilizing a sibling model, challenges these claims. Sibling analyses are valuable as siblings share genetic and environmental factors, which helps reduce confounding variables present in clinical trials.
Co-senior author Renee Gardner, a principal researcher at Sweden's Karolinska Institute, expressed her hope that this study's findings may be reassuring for individuals who use acetaminophen for pain or fever management during pregnancy, as there are limited safe alternatives for relief.
Gardner added, 'We hope that our results offer comfort to expectant parents when making decisions about taking these medications during pregnancy to alleviate pain or fever.'
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