Children may be at increased risk of development Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) When mothers took acetaminophen (a common painkiller and fever reducing agent) during pregnancy, researchers found.
The study, which sparked new debate on a controversial topic, was recently published in the journal Nature Mental Health.
“Detection of acetaminophen in the maternal blood during pregnancy compared to no exposure was associated with three times the chances of developing ADHD in children,” Brennan Baker, a researcher at the Seattle Children’s Research Institute, told Fox News Digital.
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To collect data, researchers took blood samples from 307 black women Late pregnancy of pregnancythen tested for pyrogenic markers.
If mothers take acetaminophen during pregnancy, children may be at increased risk for developing attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, the researchers found. (istock)
They also sampled the maternal placenta after birth to look for signs of increased inflammation in patients exposed to acetaminophen.
(Previous studies have linked the increased inflammatory and immune response during pregnancy with harmful links Neurogenesis in childrenBaker pointed out. )
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The researchers then followed children aged 8-10 to determine the number of diagnosed ADHD and determined whether prenatal exposure to acetaminophen was associated with a higher likelihood of disorders.
Researchers also discovered DNA changes In relation to the immune system pathways of the placenta exposed to acetaminophen, this was associated with the increased likelihood of developing ADHD in children.
“What will work for this study is to get closer to understanding modifiable prenatal risk factors.”
“This suggests that disruption in the immune system may be a mechanism that links this exposure to neurodevelopment in children,” Baker said.
Dr. Ryan Sultan, attending physician at New York Presbyterian Hospital and director of the Institute of Mental Health and Informatics at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, said the findings were “significant and concerning.”
“What this research does well is bringing us closer to a modifiable understanding. Prenatal risk factors“The Sultan, who was not involved in the research, told Fox News Digital.
Acetaminophen is a common painkiller and fever reducing agent. (istock)
This study adds to the increased consensus that acetaminophen is risk-free, but does not mean that pregnant women cannot take Tylenol. Other drugs It contains acetaminophen, experts told Fox News Digital.
“If possible, it should be used sparingly only if it is medically necessary during pregnancy,” advised Sultan.
Conflict research
There are conflicting studies on the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy and the risks of adverse neurodevelopment.
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For example, a recent study of nearly 2.5 million Swedish children last year found that there hasn’t been an increase. Risk of autismADHD or intellectual disability between siblings who were exposed to painkillers before birth.
ADHD is one of the most common mental health conditions in childhood, according to the American Psychiatry Association. (istock)
However, a national study in Taiwan found that acetaminophen use during pregnancy increased the incidence of ADHD in offspring, whether or not the mother had it. Mental health disorders.
Baker said many previous studies rely on maternal self-reports, as many people take acetaminophen.
Research Limitations
The Sultan warned that the study had some limitations.
Its sample size is small, the population is limited to Southern black mothers, and exposure to acetaminophen was measured only at a single time point, he said.
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Another major limitation is the study design, as it cannot prove that the use of acetaminophen causes ADHD.
“In observational studies like this, we cannot be 100% sure that a relationship is causal because the relationship may always be unknown,” Baker told Fox News Digital.
ADHD is a “complex and multifactorial deficiency in executive functions” that can manifest in a variety of ways, according to one expert. (istock)
“We tried to control as many factors as possible, including family history of mental health, maternal use of antibiotics, maternal use of other drugs used for pain/fever, family socioeconomic status, prenatal tobacco and alcohol exposure,” he added.
Researchers may have identified a Possible risks of ADHDDr. Ramabazzi, a psychiatrist in private practice in New York City, says mental health conditions are “complex and multifactorial deficiencies in executive functions” that can manifest in a variety of ways.
“In observational studies like this, we cannot be 100% sure that the association is causal.”
There are almost 6 million pregnancy According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 80% of women take at least one medication each year due to health issues diagnosed before or during pregnancy.
Most women take acetaminophen at some point during their pregnancy. Anxiety and depressionaccording to past research.
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ADHD is one of the most common mental health conditions in childhood, according to the American Psychiatry Association.
This study was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health. Fox News Digital reached out to the manufacturer of drugs containing acetaminophen for comments.
