Paracetamol Use During Pregnancy Not Linked to Autism, Major Study Confirms
A comprehensive review of decades of research has found no evidence linking paracetamol use during pregnancy to an increased risk of autism, ADHD, or intellectual disabilities, offering reassurance to millions of expectant mothers.
The findings, published in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Women’s Health, directly address concerns raised in September when former US President Donald Trump publicly suggested a connection between the painkiller – known as Tylenol in the United States and paracetamol in Ireland – and a purported “meteoric rise” in autism cases. He advised pregnant women to “tough it out” rather than take the medication, a statement widely criticized by medical professionals and autism campaigners.
Researchers conducted a “wide-reaching” review, analyzing 43 studies in a systematic review and 17 in a meta-analysis – a method of combining data from multiple studies. The team, comprised of international academics, examined research databases for estimates of risk related to autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and intellectual disabilities. Eligible studies compared pregnancies with and without paracetamol exposure, utilizing both validated questionnaires and medical records. Researchers also accounted for other maternal health factors and treatments.
A key component of the research involved sibling comparison studies, which compare children born to the same mother, with differing paracetamol exposure during each pregnancy. This approach helps to control for shared genetic and environmental factors.
The authors concluded that paracetamol exposure during pregnancy was “not associated with the risk” of any of the neurodevelopmental conditions studied. “Current evidence does not indicate a clinically important increase in the likelihood of autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, or intellectual disability in children of pregnant individuals who use paracetamol as directed, supporting existing recommendations on its safety,” they wrote.
Professor Asma Khalil, consultant obstetrician and fetal medicine specialist at St George’s Hospital, London, and lead author of the study, emphasized the importance of the findings. “We found no clinically important increase in the risk of autism, ADHD or intellectual disability among children where the mothers took paracetamol during pregnancy,” she stated. “And this is the important message to the millions of pregnant individuals: paracetamol is safe to use in pregnancy. It remains to be the first-line treatment that we would recommend if pregnant women have pain or fever in pregnancy, and it’s also consistent with recommendations or the guidelines by various national or international bodies.”
Commenting on the study, Gráinne McAlonan, professor of translational neuroscience at King’s College London (KCL), highlighted the emotional toll the previous claims had taken on expectant mothers. “Expectant mothers do not need the stress of questioning whether medicine most commonly used for a headache could have far-reaching effects on their child’s health,” she said. “This thorough and clear study approached the question by conducting both a substantial systematic review of the literature and a meta-analysis of eligible studies. Importantly, it prioritized sibling design studies to account for family history, which is crucial.” She added, “This confirmed that there is no relationship between taking paracetamol in pregnancy and a higher likelihood of autism, ADHD or intellectual disabilities in the offspring. While the impact of last year’s announcement has been extensive, I hope the findings of this study bring the matter to a close.”
