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 Researchers analyzed survey data from about 7,800 mothers and found
more than half of them took acetaminophen at some point during
pregnancy.
Overall, about 5 percent of their children had behavior problems by
age 7. The odds of hyperactivity, conduct issues and emotional
problems were all higher among the offspring of women who reported
using acetaminophen while pregnant, the study found.
This doesn’t necessarily mean pregnant women should avoid taking
acetaminophen, however, said lead study author Evie Stergiakouli of
the University of Bristol in the U.K.
“It is still appropriate to use acetaminophen during pregnancy
because there is a risk of not treating fever or pain during
pregnancy,” Stergiakouli said by email. “Other pain medications are
not considered safe to use during pregnancy.”
The study doesn’t prove acetaminophen, also known as paracetamol,
directly causes developmental issues in children, noted Dr. Hal
Lawrence, executive vice president and chief executive of the
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).
"Behavioral disorders are multifactorial and very difficult to
associate with a singular cause,” Lawrence, who wasn’t involved in
the study, said by email. “The brain does not stop developing until
at least 15 months of age, which leaves room for children to be
exposed to a number of factors that could potentially lead to
behavioral issues.”
To explore the connection between prenatal acetaminophen use and
behavior issues in children, researchers examined data on how many
women reported taking the drug at 18 weeks and 32 weeks of pregnancy
as well as when their children were 5 years old. They also looked at
acetaminophen use by the women’s partners.
At 18 weeks of pregnancy, 4,415 mothers, or 53 percent of them,
reported using acetaminophen, as did 3,381 mothers, or 42 percent,
at 32 weeks.
When the kids were 5 years old, more than 80 percent of the women
and their partners used acetaminophen.
The study didn’t find any association between postnatal use of the
drug by either parent and behavior issues in children, or any link
based on whether the partners took the drug while women were
pregnant.
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Because the associations weren’t observed in these instances, the
authors conclude that behavioral difficulties in children might not
be explained by unmeasured behavioral or social factors linked to
acetaminophen use.
Limitations of the study include the lack of data on the dosage or
duration of acetaminophen use, the authors note in JAMA Pediatrics.
The study also relied on parents to accurately recall and report on
their acetaminophen use and on any behavior issues observed in their
kids.
While there are a few other studies that have also suggested a
possible association between prenatal acetaminophen use and
neurological and developmental issues in children, none of this
research offers conclusive proof that the drug is the cause of the
problems, noted Dr. Aisling Murphy, a researcher in obstetrics and
gynecology at the University of California, Los Angeles.
“Having said that, generally, our advice would be to avoid any
unnecessary exposure to medications, including acetaminophen during
pregnancy,” Murphy, who wasn’t involved in the current study, said
by email.
“If treatment with acetaminophen is needed for pain control then
taking the minimum effective dose and avoiding multiple prolonged
exposures is the prudent thing to do,” Murphy added. “If pain is
more severe then talking to your doctor is the next best step.”
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/1adWrco JAMA Pediatrics, online August 15,
2016.
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