The new study was published this week in the prestigious British Medical Journal. The researchers examined nine scientific reviews that included a total of 40 observational studies on the use of the active ingredient acetaminophen (in Israel: acetaminophen) during pregnancy and its possible effect on the child’s risk of developing autism, ADHD or other neurodevelopmental problems. Their conclusion was unequivocal: there is no convincing evidence of a causal link between the drug and these disorders.
The works examined apparently found a possible connection, but seven of the nine reviews emphasized that this should not be considered proof, since the studies were unable to separate the effect of the drug from family or genetic factors. The researchers from the University of Liverpool explained that the quality of the evidence included in most of the reviews was defined as “low to very low”, therefore there is no scientific basis for the fear that the drug causes autism or attention deficit disorder.
One of the largest studies included in the review, which was conducted in Sweden and included 2.4 million children, found that when siblings who exposed the mother to the drug were compared with siblings who did not, any difference in the rate of autism or attention deficit disorder disappeared. The meaning, according to the researchers, is that the causes of the developmental difficulties are likely to be found in family genetics or the mother’s health condition, and not in the drug itself.
The researchers emphasized that beyond the scientific importance, the findings have a significant emotional value: women whose children have been diagnosed with autism or attention deficit disorder should not feel guilty or think that the medicine they took caused it. “There is no evidence that acetaminophen is the cause,” wrote the researchers, “and women should not live with a sense of guilt for routine and safe medical treatment.”
The clear conclusion of the review is that Paracetamol, Novimol, Dexamol or “Tylenol” in the US and the like remain the most recommended and safest pain relievers for pregnant women, and that there is no scientific evidence of a link between them and autism or attention disorder. The scientists call on doctors to continue recommending them when necessary, and to avoid unfounded fears that could prevent appropriate treatment of pregnant women.