A team of researchers are raising questions about the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy, as it may raise the risk of behavior problems in your child later on. The study, published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, notes that “research data suggest that acetaminophen is a hormone disruptor, and abnormal hormonal exposures in pregnancy may influence fetal brain development.” While they say it’s too early to make any definitive recommendations to the public, a “heads-up” warning is certainly warranted. As reported by Forbes: “...since the results do suggest that prenatal use may as much as double the risk of behavior disorders in the child, pregnant women may want to take the study into consideration, or talk with their doctors.” The study included data from more than 64,000 mothers and children in the Danish National Birth Cohort. Over 50 percent of the women reported taking acetaminophen while pregnant, which was found to be linked to: A 30 percent increased risk for ADHD in the child during the first seven years of life 37 percent increased risk of being diagnosed with hyperkinetic disorder (HKD), a severe form of ADHD Behavioral effects appeared to be dose dependent. The more frequent the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy, the higher the offspring’s chances of being diagnosed with ADHD-related problems. Children of women who used the drug for 20 or more weeks during pregnancy had nearly double the risk of getting an HKD diagnosis. They also had a 50 percent greater chance of being prescribed an ADHD medication. According to the featured article: “Acetaminophen can cross the placenta, making its way to the fetus and its delicate developing nervous system. The drug is a known endocrine (hormone) disrupter, and has previously been linked to undescended testes in male infants. Since the maternal hormone environment plays a critical role in the development of the fetus, the authors say that it’s ‘possible that acetaminophen may interrupt brain development by interfering with maternal hormones or via neurotoxicity such as the induction of oxidative stress that can cause neuronal death.’
Posted on: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 12:24:10 +0000
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