Acetaminophen has long been seen to be a safe medicine for pregnant women, but a new scientific consensus has highlighted the risks to the baby’s development if it is not used with care and under the supervision of a doctor.
To treat pain and fever during pregnancy, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommends using the lowest effective dosage for the shortest time feasible.
Paracetamol is by far the safest medicine among analgesics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications. The issue is that most individuals disregard drug hazards, dismissing them as trivial, and hence abuse the medicine.
Learn more about the hazards associated with the use of paracetamol by pregnant women.
Possible Risks Of Paracetamol To Pregnant Women
Acetaminophen (acetaminophen, N-acetyl-p-aminophenol) is a pain reliever and fever reducer that is extensively used.
A new scientific article published in the prestigious international journal Nature Reviews Endocrinology examined epidemiological research and laboratory studies with cells and animal models published over the last 25 years and discovered the following negative effects associated with the use of pregnancy medication:
- Foetal development changes
- Increased risk of nervous system illnesses, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and language acquisition issues.
- Risks to Reproductive and Urogenital Development: Studies have revealed that cryptorchidism (undescended testes), shortened anogenital distance, and infertility in adulthood are all elevated risks.
So Pregnant Women Can’t Take Acetaminophen?
This isn’t to say that pregnant women shouldn’t be treated for acute or chronic pain with drugs, much alone given a fever. Because fever exposure during pregnancy might affect the baby’s neural tube and lead to future cardiovascular issues.
Your doctor or obstetrician will assess the dangers of using paracetamol to relieve pain and fever. The most recent advice is to utilize the smallest effective dosage for as little period as feasible.
As a result, it’s critical that pregnant women don’t self-medicate, since only a professional who is monitoring the pregnancy can determine the amount and length of usage, avoiding hazards to the baby’s development.
This research, like any other scientific study, has limitations, and the authors point to the need for additional rigorous human investigations in addition to animal models and laboratory studies using cells.
In any event, the result is statistically significant and supports the hazards that have been documented. As a result, pregnant women and health professionals should be advised to pay close attention to the doses and times of usage indicated to patients.
Is The Warning Of The Risks Of Paracetamol Valid?
This warning is appropriate since the medicine is inexpensive, available over-the-counter, and has traditionally been thought to be safe for pregnant women and newborns.
So paracetamol is used for any moderate symptoms that may be treated without the use of drugs.
Another reason for the warning is that many of the side effects manifest years after the child’s birth, and the condition is unrelated to paracetamol usage during pregnancy.
An infertile adult, for example, may spend years looking for the source of their issue, not recognizing the effects of acetaminophen taken by the mother during her pregnancy.
Similarly, ADHD and language acquisition problems in children are not linked to the mother’s usage of medication while pregnant.
Also see: Heart Pain: Main Causes And What To Do?
