Recently, scientists have begun to wonder whether paracetamol (its English name prarcetamol or acetaminophen) has an effect on fetuses. This question is important because at least half of pregnant women in both Europe and the United States take the drug during pregnancy, even if occasionally.
According to author Jean Goulding in a report published by The Conference, there have been several studies launched in the 1990s, aimed at monitoring mothers during pregnancy and then following their babies.
The researchers recorded the medications women took during pregnancy, both prescription and non-prescription, and followed up on the children.
Both studies revealed links between mothers taking paracetamol during pregnancy and behavioral problems in postnatal children, such as attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity.
Avon
In the Avon longitudinal study of parents and children, the focus was on maternal intake of paracetamol during a specific period, between the 18th and 32th week of pregnancy. The aim was to find out whether children whose mothers took paracetamol during these three months of pregnancy had a different character, behaviors or IQ, compared to children whose mothers did not take paracetamol during that period.
The author pointed out that 135 different results of these children were examined. In terms of cognitive abilities, the researchers used tests supervised by psychologists. As for typography and behavior, they studied the questionnaires that mothers filled out about their children annually during the first 10 years of their lives.
Hyperactivity and attention in children were assessed, as well as aggressiveness, emotional problems and difficulties related to their peers and social communication. At the same time, their teachers filled out similar questionnaires on children's behavior at the age of seven, eight, ten and eleven.
Of the 135 outcomes studied, they found only one case associated with perception, while another 12 were associated with behavioral and mood differences.
These findings were mostly concerned with difficult behavior and hyperactivity, as well as poor attention.
Researchers have discovered that as a child ages, these bonds weaken. Whether using reports from mothers or teachers, these links are strong in children aged three to four and disappear at the age of eight.
Overcoming these difficult behaviors is reassuring, but it raises questions about whether other links will be found during adolescence.
At the same time, pregnant women should minimize the use of medicines, including over-the-counter medicines, whenever possible because it cannot be proven that drugs are safe for the fetus.