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Acetaminophen use during pregnancy linked to children's behavioral issues
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Children exposed to acetaminophen through maternal consumption during pregnancy were at an increased risk for developing difficult behavioral symptoms, according to recently published data.
“Acetaminophen use during pregnancy is associated with a higher risk of hyperkinetic disorders and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-like behaviors,” Evie Stergiakouli, PhD, lecturer in genetic epidemiology and statistical genetics at the University of Bristol, and colleagues wrote. “In addition, a sibling-controlled cohort study that partially controlled for familial confounding found that long-term acetaminophen use during pregnancy was associated with adverse developmental outcomes at 3 years of age.”
Stergiakouli and colleagues conducted a longitudinal birth cohort study from February 2015 to March 2016 to determine associations between behavioral problems in children and their mothers’ prenatal and postnatal acetaminophen use. The data, drawn from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, included 7,796 women from Bristol with expected delivery dates from April 1991 to December 1992. Participants completed a questionnaire regarding acetaminophen use at 18 weeks (n = 4,415; 53%) and 32 weeks (n = 3,381; 42%) of pregnancy and when their children were aged 5 years. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was used to log maternal reports of child behavioral problems when the children were aged 7 years.
Maternal prenatal acetaminophen use at 32 weeks’ pregnancy was associated with a greater risk of children having conduct issues (adjusted RR = 1.42; 95% CI, 1.25-1.62), hyperactivity symptoms (aRR = 1.31; 95% CI, 1.16-1.49), emotional symptoms (aRR = 1.29; 95% CI, 1.09-1.53) and SDQ total difficulties (aRR = 1.46; 95% CI, 1.21-1.77). Risk ratios from using acetaminophen at 18 weeks’ pregnancy were less strong for conduct issues and hyperactivity. There were no significant associations between SDQ domains and maternal postnatal or partner acetaminophen use.
“Our findings suggest that the association between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and offspring behavioral problems in childhood may be due to an intrauterine mechanism,” Stergiakouli and colleagues wrote. “Further studies are required to elucidate mechanisms behind this association as well as to test alternatives to a causal explanation.
“Given the widespread use of acetaminophen among pregnant women, this can have important implications on public health advice.” – by Kate Sherrer
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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