A comprehensive review published in the British Medical Journal has found no convincing evidence linking paracetamol use during pregnancy to autism or ADHD in children. The analysis, which examined nine systematic reviews covering 40 observational studies, concluded that any apparent association was likely due to family genetics and other factors.
The review was fast-tracked after former US President Donald Trump urged pregnant women to avoid paracetamol, claiming it contributed to rising autism rates. However, researchers noted that the quality of the existing reviews ranged from low to critically low, and that studies accounting for genetics and shared environmental factors found no causal link.
Professor Shakila Thangaratinam, a consultant obstetrician at the University of Liverpool and senior author, stated: “Women should know that the existing evidence does not really support a link between paracetamol and autism and ADHD. If pregnant women need to take paracetamol for fever or pain, we would say please do, particularly because high fever in pregnancy could be dangerous to the unborn baby.”
One key study included in the review analysed 2.4 million Swedish children and found that while rates of autism and ADHD were marginally higher in those exposed to paracetamol in utero, the effect disappeared when comparing siblings. This suggests the mother’s genetics or underlying health conditions were responsible, not the medication.
The findings aim to reassure mothers who may feel guilty for taking paracetamol during pregnancy. “There isn’t anything in the current evidence that suggests mothers taking paracetamol is actually causing autism and ADHD,” Thangaratinam added. Experts emphasised that paracetamol remains the safest painkiller for pregnant women, especially for treating fever, which can harm the unborn baby if left untreated.
