Paracetamol during pregnancy, no link to autism: Trump proven wrong

Study in The BMJ proves Donald Trump wrong: paracetamol is safe during pregnancy

An in-depth scientific review published in The BMJ has refuted US President Donald Trump’s claims: there is no solid evidence that the use of paracetamol during pregnancy is linked to autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children.

Experts advise women to use the drug when necessary to treat fever and pain, reiterating that it remains the recommended treatment during pregnancy.

The study published in The BMJ

The research was conducted by an international team of scientists from the United Kingdom, Spain and Australia and analysed nine systematic reviews comprising 40 observational studies. The authors concluded that the available evidence is of low or critically low quality and that any correlations observed in previous studies may be due to genetic and environmental factors shared within families.

In practice, once the data were corrected for these factors, the alleged link between paracetamol use during pregnancy and the risk of autism or ADHD disappeared or was significantly reduced.

Paracetamol during pregnancy: the experts’ conclusi

The authors of the study urge doctors and health authorities to provide accurate information to pregnant women: “Paracetamol should be taken when necessary; there is no evidence to advise against its use during pregnancy”.

The scientific team emphasises that “the current data do not allow a causal link to be established between the use of paracetamol during pregnancy and the development of autism or ADHD”. Further studies, with better controls, are needed to investigate the issue in greater depth.

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