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March 12, 2014
Acetaminophen Used During Pregnancy Raises Rates of ADHD-Like Issues

Los Angeles—Children born of mothers who used the pain reliever acetaminophen during pregnancy have greater risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-like behavioral problems and hyperkinetic (HKD) disorders, according to a new study.

Background in the article, published online recently by JAMA Pediatrics, notes that acetaminophen is the most commonly used medication for pain and fever during pregnancy. The study was initiated after previous research suggested that acetaminophen could have hormonal effects leading to neurodevelopmental issues and subsequent behavioral dysfunction.

The study, led by researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, examined records of 64,322 children and mothers in the Danish National Birth Cohort (1996-2002). Parents reported behavioral problems on a questionnaire, and HKD diagnoses and ADHD medication prescriptions were collected from Danish registries.

With more than half of the mothers reporting acetaminophen use while pregnant, results indicate the pain reliever was associated with a higher risk of HKD diagnosis, of using ADHD medications or of having ADHD-like behaviors at 7 years of age.

Taking acetaminophen in more than one trimester during pregnancy appeared to increase the risk, according to the report.

“Maternal acetaminophen use during pregnancy is associated with a higher risk for HKDs and ADHD-like behaviors in children,” the authors write. “Because the exposure and outcomes are frequent, these results are of public health relevance but further investigations are needed.”

A related commentary suggests that “findings from this study should be interpreted cautiously and should not change practice.”

Miriam Cooper, MRCPsych, MSc, of Cardiff University School of Medicine in Wales, and colleagues write, “An interesting new study in this issue of the journal has found preliminary evidence that prenatal exposure to a drug considered safe in pregnancy (acetaminophen or paracetamol) may be associated with ADHD in childhood.

“Indeed, causation cannot be inferred from the present observed associations, and [the authors] are right to point out that a replication of their study is needed.”
The editorial says studies such as these “underline the importance of not taking a drug's safety during pregnancy for granted,” adding that the research provides a “platform from which to conduct further related analyses exploring a potential relationship between acetaminophen use and altered neurodevelopment.”




U.S. Pharmacist Social Connect