Paracetamol

[Confused521]

So, now they're saying that taking this in pregnancy can cause developmental problems for the baby- autism, ADHD and also fertility issues. Not treating a fever can also cause similar problems. We are damned if we do AND damned if we don't, aren't we. I have been treating recurring headaches with paracetamol. I really wish they wouldn't publish these findings while I'm pregnant!!! Apparently there is no nee research, just a compilation of past studies om animals and humans.

Argh.

I’ve never ever heard this. Paracetamol is recommended by midwives and GPS to manage pain in pregnancy. It’s much more important to manage a fever. If you’re concerned, speak to your midwife or doctor. I’ve taken paracetamol this pregnancy and will continue to do so if I’m in pain as we have to look after ourselves too

Also, everyone I know (close to me) has taken paracetamol in pregnancy and no issues. My mum did too and I’m fine

Who is saying this? What's the source? You say "they're" - who are they? What's the research?

I took it and ibuprofen throughout pregnancy with no ill effects to myself or the baby. I have rheumatoid arthritis and stopped taking my meds to control it due to the lack of evidence regarding risk during pregnancy. My consultant recommended to take these should I need pain relief, but nothing else.

I agree about reports like this, where is the actual concrete evidence? If you are concerned please speak to your midwife/GP

They really shouldn't publish this kind of stuff without being certain. Anyone whose child does have a problem will start thinking 'what if' about that paracetamol they took.

@thingymaboob

Who is saying this? What's the source? You say "they're" - who are they? What's the research?

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/09/23/pregnant-women-should-avoid-paracetamol-amid-child-health-risks/

www.google.com/amp/s/www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/pregnant-women-warned-limit-taking-25059870.amp

www.google.com/amp/s/www.thesun.co.uk/health/16224824/taking-paracetamol-pregnant-harm-babys-development/amp/

None of those articles say how much, and whether it matters which trimester etc.

I'm pregnant and did have to take some paracetamol for headaches early in my second trimester!

A few years ago there was a study in mice which suggested some 'mights' and 'maybes', but further research was needed, and this was hyped out of all proportion by the media. I haven't seen any research since to confirm any of their findings applied to humans.

I would be cautious about who it is who is saying this, who has compiled the studies, and what those studies actually said (are they being interpreted correctly). If there was a genuine, confirmed link, the NHS would advise against taking paracetamol in pregnancy.

www.nhs.uk/medicines/paracetamol-for-adults/

@arield

None of those articles say how much, and whether it matters which trimester etc.

I'm pregnant and did have to take some paracetamol for headaches early in my second trimester!

Same - although more than I would have liked to.

I agree also that it's unhelpful to publish this in the absence of any concrete proof, hence my rant.

[quote mumofmunchkin]A few years ago there was a study in mice which suggested some 'mights' and 'maybes', but further research was needed, and this was hyped out of all proportion by the media. I haven't seen any research since to confirm any of their findings applied to humans.

I would be cautious about who it is who is saying this, who has compiled the studies, and what those studies actually said (are they being interpreted correctly). If there was a genuine, confirmed link, the NHS would advise against taking paracetamol in pregnancy.

www.nhs.uk/medicines/paracetamol-for-adults/[/quote]
Agree and I remember "them" coming out with a "caffeine should be banned in pregnancy" statement last year, which the NHS refused to endorse as well.

there is the crucial word 'shoud' in that headline and advises caution. For me personally I never take paracetamol as an Anadin will solve my headaches. Otherwise I take ibuprofen if it is the right sort of pain.
I have a high threshold for pain so I avoid most painkillers. Everything you put in your body carries the risk of a possible very small side effect

I've just found the research article itself, rather than just the media hype. I haven't had time to read the whole thing yet, I'll try and do it later, but the abstract states (APAP is paracetamol):

"APAP is an important medication and alternatives for treatment of high fever and severe pain are limited. We recommend that pregnant women should be cautioned at the beginning of pregnancy to: forego APAP unless its use is medically indicated; consult with a physician or pharmacist if they are uncertain whether use is indicated and before using on a long-term basis; and minimize exposure by using the lowest effective dose for the shortest possible time."

Basically, only use it if you actually need it, which is what I suspect most pregnant women do anyway. The 'lowest dose for the shortest time' advice is what's given on the NHS website currently.

Here's the article for anyone with more time this morning

www.nature.com/articles/s41574-021-00553-7

You’ve provided links for The Sun, The Telegraph and The Mirror 🙈 please just stick to official NHS guidance and not media hype

Even in the Nature article there is a lot of 'could', i.e. there is no proven link and what they have found is a possible correlation not causation. The NHS advice is to use the smallest dose for the shortest time - no surprise there! Anything published in the medical is sensationalist hype and this is no exception.

@AllSinging

You’ve provided links for The Sun, The Telegraph and The Mirror 🙈 please just stick to official NHS guidance and not media hype

I was asked where I came across it so provided that. Gees!

@Confused521 but that’s my point OP, you have to take everything you read in the media with a pinch of salt. Stick to guidance that can be trusted and don’t stress yourself out. (I wish you could set a tone for text as I’m saying it in a nice way, not an arsey way) x

Hi OP, I think you raise a very fair and valid concern. This is a very significant article and it raises some important questions about paracetamol. Having read it, a few comments I would make are:

1. It’s a precautionary statement. The authors are saying that there is evidence that suggests paracetamol may be a contributor to various adverse outcomes and conditions. However, it is not saying that it definitely causes these things - it’s saying we need to do more research, and in the interim, we should be cautious about paracetamol use until we know more.

1. The article notes that 65% of pregnant women in the US use paracetamol in pregnancy, and this likely an underestimate. Similar proportions are reported in other western countries. That makes it particularly hard to know whether paracetamol really does cause some of these outcomes as such a wide range of women take it, so the effects are hard to isolate. Looking at some of the conditions the article highlights, there is also good evidence showing that other factors may be contributing to them (air pollution, household chemicals, food additives, genetics, etc.). It’s probably going to take a very long time to work out what the true causes really are. Paracetamol might be one of them; or it might be a red herring.

1. When looking at the effects of paracetamol in pregnancy, it is very difficult to isolate whether outcomes are caused by the paracetamol use, or by the reasons why someone took the paracetamol. For example, let’s say a woman takes paracetamol because she is experiencing headaches, and her baby later develops a condition. Was the condition caused by the paracetamol usage or was it caused by whatever biological process caused her to have a headache? That is a very difficult question to answer and requires very carefully structured research studies (which we don’t have).

1. Overall, if at some point down the line it is demonstrated that taking paracetamol in pregnancy does increase the risk of various outcomes, it is very unlikely that occasional use would be sufficient to increase these risks by very much. Given 65% (and probably more) of US women take paracetamol in pregnancy, if there was a direct line between paracetamol and these conditions, we would see much, much higher rates of them. Even in the worst case scenario, the increase in risk will be extremely small.

Very long story short, if you’ve taken paracetamol occasionally in pregnancy, do not worry!

I took codeine (doctor prescribed) and paracetamol through out my pregnancy with no ill effects.

Dd is now a healthy 8 year old

OP, I strongly encourage you to use the BUMPS (Best use of medicine in pregnancy) website for information on what is safe to take during pregnancy. www.medicinesinpregnancy.org/

BUMPs explains the risks involved for each medication, so that you can make informed choices about the medicines you may need to use during pregnancy.

Please don't base your worry on articles in the press, they are going for headlines, rather than presenting balanced facts.

@CentralLondonPregnant

Hi OP, I think you raise a very fair and valid concern. This is a very significant article and it raises some important questions about paracetamol. Having read it, a few comments I would make are:

1. It’s a precautionary statement. The authors are saying that there is evidence that suggests paracetamol may be a contributor to various adverse outcomes and conditions. However, it is not saying that it definitely causes these things - it’s saying we need to do more research, and in the interim, we should be cautious about paracetamol use until we know more.

1. The article notes that 65% of pregnant women in the US use paracetamol in pregnancy, and this likely an underestimate. Similar proportions are reported in other western countries. That makes it particularly hard to know whether paracetamol really does cause some of these outcomes as such a wide range of women take it, so the effects are hard to isolate. Looking at some of the conditions the article highlights, there is also good evidence showing that other factors may be contributing to them (air pollution, household chemicals, food additives, genetics, etc.). It’s probably going to take a very long time to work out what the true causes really are. Paracetamol might be one of them; or it might be a red herring.

1. When looking at the effects of paracetamol in pregnancy, it is very difficult to isolate whether outcomes are caused by the paracetamol use, or by the reasons why someone took the paracetamol. For example, let’s say a woman takes paracetamol because she is experiencing headaches, and her baby later develops a condition. Was the condition caused by the paracetamol usage or was it caused by whatever biological process caused her to have a headache? That is a very difficult question to answer and requires very carefully structured research studies (which we don’t have).

1. Overall, if at some point down the line it is demonstrated that taking paracetamol in pregnancy does increase the risk of various outcomes, it is very unlikely that occasional use would be sufficient to increase these risks by very much. Given 65% (and probably more) of US women take paracetamol in pregnancy, if there was a direct line between paracetamol and these conditions, we would see much, much higher rates of them. Even in the worst case scenario, the increase in risk will be extremely small.

Very long story short, if you’ve taken paracetamol occasionally in pregnancy, do not worry!

This is excellent, thanks @CentralLondonPregnant

You can definitely take 1g paracetamol multiple times a day @Confused521. I suffered from strong headaches from the beginning (Ifv pregnancy meaning high doses of extra progesterone causing debilitating headaches) until 18 weeks. I am 20 weeks now and as my Drs said, these headaches disappear as the pregnancy progresses. Also, headache can be stronger if you have stopped drinking coffee. Therefore, I also take a small coffee when headache is there and don't want to take the paracetamol. Caffeine is allowed and can be very efficient for some people (works in 2 minutes for me).
Hope you will get better soon :)
S.