Taking ibuprofen during pregnancy could make a future daughter infertile, research suggests.

The study of human ovarian tissue is the first evidence that exposure to the common painkiller - taken by one in three women during pregnancy - could damage the fertility of future offspring.

Foetuses exposed to the drug saw a “dramatic loss” of the germ cells which form follicles, determining how many eggs a woman will be able to release in her lifetime, the research found.

Taking the tablets for just two days during pregnancy was enough to result in fertility problems in subsequent female children born, the French study shows.

And even if women stop taking the painkiller, the damage is irreversible, scientists warned.

The research was carried out on foetuses in the first trimester of pregnancy.

But scientists said taking the anti-inflammatory drug during the first six months could reduce the store of eggs in the ovaries of future daughters.

Lead author Dr Séverine Mazaud-Guittot at INSERM in Rennes said: "Baby girls are born with a finite number of follicles in their ovaries and this defines their future reproductive capacity as adults

"A poorly stocked initial reserve will result in a shortened reproductive life span, early menopause or infertility - all events that occur decades later in life.”