Dangers of Tylenol aka Acetaminophen Use During Pregnancy – Study Summary

Tylenol use during pregnancy may negatively affect the child.

Acetaminophen Use During Pregnancy, Behavioral Problems, and Hyperkinetic Disorders
From the Journal of the American Medical Association, Pediatrics
February 24, 2014, Zeyan Liew, MPH; Beate Ritz, MD, PhD; Cristina Rebordosa, MD, PhD; Pei-Chen Lee,PhD; Jørn Olsen, MD, PhD

The primary authors are from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE:
These authors evaluated whether prenatal exposure to acetaminophen increases
the risk for developing attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)–like
behavioral problems or hyperkinetic disorders (HKDs) in children. Hyperkinetic
disorder (HKD) is a particularly severe form of ADHD. They evaluated 64,322 liveborn
children and mothers enrolled in the Danish National Birth Cohort.

1) Acetaminophen (paracetamol) [the active ingredient in Tylenol] is the most commonly used medication for pain and fever during pregnancy in many countries.

2) “Acetaminophen (paracetamol) is the most commonly used OTC pain and
fever medication, with more than 50% of pregnant women reporting use in the
United States and Denmark.”

3) “Acetaminophen is a hormone disruptor, and abnormal hormonal exposures in pregnancy may influence fetal brain development.” “Acetaminophen has endocrine disrupting properties. Prenatal exposure to endocrine disruptors may affect neurodevelopment and cause behavioral dysfunction.”

4) “Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common
neurobehavioral disorders worldwide, characterized by inattention, hyperactivity,
increased impulsivity, and motivational/emotional dysregulation.”

5) There is a rapid increase in childhood neurodevelopmental disorders, including
ADHD, over the past decades. Part of the neuropathology of ADHD may already be
present at birth, potentially as a consequence of exposures during pregnancy
and/or infancy.

6) Maternal acetaminophen use during pregnancy is associated with a higher risk
for HKDs and ADHD-like behaviors in children:
A)) Hyperkinetic disorders (HKD) by 37%
B)) ADHD by 29%
These associations became stronger with increased use of acetaminophen.2

7) Acetaminophen is increasingly used as a perceived safe OTC drug during
pregnancy.

8) “When women reported having used acetaminophen for 20 or more weeks
during pregnancy, the risk for HKD diagnosis in children almost doubled [84%], and
the risk for receiving ADHD medication increased by 50% [53%]”

9) “In this large pregnancy cohort with prospective data, children born to
mothers who used acetaminophen during pregnancy were at higher risk for
receiving a hospital diagnosis of HKD, ADHD medications, or having ADHD-like
behaviors during follow-up.”

10) “Acetaminophen can cross the placental barrier and recent studies suggested
that maternal use of acetaminophen increases the risk for cryptorchidism
(undescended testis) in boys due to its endocrine-disrupting properties.”

11) “Maternal hormones, such as sex hormones and thyroid hormones, play
critical roles in regulating fetal brain development, and it is possible that
acetaminophen may interrupt brain development by interfering with maternal
hormones or via neurotoxicity such as the induction of oxidative stress that can
cause neuronal death.”

12) “Maternal infections or immunological factors have previously been linked to
childhood ADHD. Acetaminophen is often used by mothers to relieve symptoms due
to infections, which may induce confounding by indication in our study.”

13) “Using prospective data from a well-designed large cohort of pregnant women
with a long duration of follow-up and registry based outcome assessment, we found
that prenatal exposures to acetaminophen may increase the risk in children of
receiving a hospital diagnosis of HKD or ADHD medication and of exhibiting ADHD like
behaviors, with higher use frequency increasing risk in an exposure-response
manner.”

14) “If these results reflect causal associations, acetaminophen should no longer
be considered a safe drug for use in pregnancy. ”

Additional Comments:

This article adds to the evidence that acetaminophen in Tylenol and other products are detrimental to the developing fetal brain. There is a need to reevaluate the safety of Tylenol, especially when it comes to prenatal exposure. Kids are our future. There are better, safer ways to relieve pain associated with pregnancy.