A team of 13 scientists caution against the use of pain relievers with acetaminophen (also known as paracetamol) during pregnancy.
They cite a growing body of research that suggests the drug might alter fetal development.
The consensus statement, which appears in the journal Nature Reviews Endocrinology, was supported by signatories from 91 researchers, clinicians, and public health experts around the world. According to the signatories, acetaminophen may be at least partially responsible for rising rates of male reproductive disorders and cognitive, learning, and behavioral problems among children over the past several years.
“Our lab was among the first to report a potential harmful effect of acetaminophen on fetal brain development in a large longitudinal human cohort study. It is time to take the growing body of evidence seriously and consider precautionary measures,” says Zeyan Liew, assistant professor in the Yale School of Public Health’s department of environmental health sciences and one of the authors of the statement….