New Study: Paracetamol During Pregnancy Does Not Cause Autism or ADHD

• A new review published in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Women’s Health found no causal link between paracetamol use during pregnancy and autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability in children.
• The study pooled data from 43 studies involving hundreds of thousands of children, including sibling comparison analyses to control for genetic and environmental factors.
• Earlier studies suggesting a link were limited by small sample sizes, bias, or failure to account for family genetics and shared environmental influences.
• Scientists now believe previous associations might have stemmed from underlying maternal factors like fever, pain, inflammation, or genetic predispositions, not the medication itself.
• Paracetamol remains the recommended first-line choice for safe pain and fever relief during pregnancy, as uncontrolled fever and pain carry their own risks.

Why It Matters: New research confirms paracetamol taken as directed during pregnancy is safe and does not cause autism or ADHD.