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A new international study shows that Acetaminophen (paracetamol) use during pregnancy may be linked to an increased risk of childhood attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).





What is Acetaminophen?





Study aim and design

25.8% – ADHD only

6.6% – ASD only

4.2% – ADHD and ASD

30.5% – other developmental disabilities

individuals of typical developmental, intellectual, and cognitive abilities) 32.8% – Neurotypical (



Umbilical cord blood samples were examined for traces of paracetamol. Paracetamol metabolites were measured using umbilical cord plasma samples that had been collected at birth – maternal plasma paracetamol metabolites were also collected within three days of delivery. Levels of metabolite in both samples were measured using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry.



The study concluded that “cord biomarkers of fetal exposure to paracetamol were linked to a significantly increased risk of childhood ADHD and ASD in a dose-response fashion.”



Anthony J. Hannan, NHMRC Principal Research Fellow from The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne and Melbourne Brain Centre, provided expert comment on the study findings:



"This new research article provides additional evidence that a woman’s use of the common drug paracetamol during pregnancy could increase the risk of two major disorders of brain development, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Both disorders result from complex combinations of genetic and environmental factors which remain poorly understood.”



He adds: “This new evidence raises important public health issues. Can pregnant women avoid taking this drug without compromising their own health? Much more research into the causes of ASD and ADHD is required. Furthermore, if women are advised to not take paracetamol during pregnancy, then alternative treatments to this drug need to be explored, which will also require more research."





Strengths and limitations of the study



Reference





Expert comment on the above findings were given by Anthony J. Hannan and Jeffrey Keelan. These comments were sourced via the Australian Science Media Centre.