Study Confirms Paracetamol Safety During Pregnancy, Dismissing Claims of Autism Risk

Taking paracetamol while pregnant is safe and there's no evidence it raises the risk of autism, ADHD and developmental issues in children, say experts behind a major new review.

Pregnant women 'should feel reassured' by the findings, they say, which contradict controversial claims from US President Donald Trump last year that paracetamol 'is no good' and pregnant women should 'fight like hell' not to take it.

His views were criticised at the time by medical organizations worldwide. Experts say this latest review, in a Lancet journal, is rigorous and should end the debate over its safety.

But US health officials maintain that 'many experts' have expressed concern over its use during pregnancy.

The US President shocked many doctors worldwide when he and his administration claimed paracetamol - known as acetaminophen in the US - which is seen as the go-to painkiller for pregnant women - could be linked to autism in children if taken during pregnancy.

Those claims led to confusion among women and concern among health experts, prompting this new research.

Published in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Women's Health, it looked at 43 of the most robust studies into paracetamol use during pregnancy, involving hundreds of thousands of women, particularly those comparing pregnancies where the mother had taken the drug to pregnancies where she hadn't.

The researchers say using these high-quality studies of siblings means they can dismiss other factors such as different genes and family environments, making their review 'gold-standard.'

The research also analyzed studies with a low risk of bias and followed children for over five years to check for any link.

'When we did this analysis, we found no links, there was no association, there's no evidence that paracetamol increases the risk of autism,' lead study author and consultant obstetrician Professor Asma Khalil, told the BBC.

'The message is clear – paracetamol remains a safe option during pregnancy when taken as guided,' she added.

This reinforces guidance from major medical organizations in the UK, US, and Europe on the safety of the common painkiller.

Any previously-reported links between the drug and an increased risk of autism are likely to be explained by other factors rather than a direct effect of paracetamol.

'This is important as paracetamol is the first-line medication we recommend for pregnant women in pain or with a fever,' said Prof Khalil from City St George's, University of London. Health advice warns that women can run the risk of harming their baby if they don't take paracetamol to bring down a high temperature or relieve pain while pregnant, which can increase the risk of miscarriage, premature birth, or developmental problems in babies.

Medical experts not involved in the research have welcomed the study's findings, saying it will help reduce worry among women.

Prof Grainne McAlonnan, from King's College London, said 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'.

'I hope the findings of this study bring the matter to a close,' she said.

Prof Ian Douglas from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine commented on the study being 'well-conducted' because it excluded studies of lower quality, which did not take into account significant differences between mothers who use or don't use paracetamol during pregnancy.

According to Prof Jan Haavik, a molecular neuroscientist and clinical psychiatrist at the University of Bergen, the study provides 'strong evidence' that using paracetamol during pregnancy does not increase the risk of autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability and 'should effectively put this question to rest'.

It is widely believed by scientists that autism is the result of a complex mix of factors, including genetic and environmental ones.

A spokesman from the US Department of Health and Human Services maintained that 'many experts' have expressed concern over the use of acetaminophen - the US name for paracetamol - during pregnancy.

For example, a review led by Dr. Andrew Baccarelli of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found acetaminophen use during pregnancy may increase children's autism and ADHD risk, urging caution 'especially with heavy or prolonged use'.

Months earlier, Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr pledged to investigate the cause of reported autism cases' steep rise.

In a controversial speech, President Trump encouraged doctors to avoid prescribing the pain reliever to pregnant women.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a letter to clinicians urging caution regarding the use of acetaminophen in pregnancy while maintaining it as the only drug approved for treating fevers during pregnancy.

The FDA states that 'a causal relationship' between the drug and neurological conditions 'has not been established'. Health officials in the UK stress that paracetamol remains the safest painkiller available to pregnant women.