Implications for Clinical Practice
Healthcare professionals should reassure pregnant women that paracetamol remains a safe choice. Evidence-based communication is key, especially when misinformation can cause unnecessary anxiety.
Several experts in related fields have commented on the study, providing further reassurance:
Prof Grainne McAlonan, Professor of Translational Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London, said:
“This paper is a welcome and careful assessment which rightly concludes the evidence does not clearly link use of paracetamol in pregnancy with autism of ADHD in the offspring. The methods are robust and clearly laid out. The emphasis on the importance of family history in increasing the likelihood of outcomes like autism and ADHD is appropriate. A strength is the close involvement of experts by experience.
I strongly endorse the authors’ concerns around “the historic and on-going underfunding in women’s health research, particularly in pregnancy”. This has opened the door to opinion over-riding fact and is worrying when it happens at policy level.”
In addition, Prof Dimitrios Siassakos, Professor in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University College London, said:
“The high-quality methodology used in this new umbrella review confirms what experts around the globe have been saying.
The evidence that links paracetamol use in pregnancy to autism is tenuous and those studies which do report an association are confounded by the association of autism or ADHD with factors shared by families such as genetics, lifestyle etc.”
Lastly, Dr Steven Kapp, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, University of Portsmouth, said:
“The press release accurately covers that the state of evidence suggests paracetamol does not cause autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability. The highest-quality research found no relationship – for example, comparing siblings with millions of participants. Autistic and neurodivergent people are more likely to experience chronic pain, and they are also much more likely to have neurodivergent children – but paracetamol doesn’t cause neurodivergence. As a researcher and autistic person with ADHD, I think we should not be trying to prevent neurodivergence anyway, but make life better for neurodivergent people.”
Paracetamol is still considered safe during pregnancy. While research continues, the best advice remains clear: treat pain and fever when needed and consult your healthcare provider for personalised guidance.
MQ has recently compiled a Parent Pack of information and helpful tips for parents of young children, available here: How You Can Support Your Children’s Mental Health | Guide
