Over the years, several studies have suggested that taking acetaminophen during pregnancy could increase the risk of autism or ADHD in children. Many of those studies, however, were small or poorly designed, leaving the question unresolved.
A new analysis based on higher-quality evidence now finds no causal link between prenatal acetaminophen use and neurodevelopmental disorders. The findings specifically address autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, two conditions that had been repeatedly associated with the pain reliever in earlier research.
According to a report from Medical Xpress, the analysis underscores the importance of study design in drawing causal conclusions. While the new evidence does not rule out all possible risks, it indicates that the previously reported associations were likely not causal.