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Study Finds No Link Between Acetaminophen Use in Pregnancy and Autism or ADHD
A Hong Kong study of more than 700,000 mother-child pairs found no association between acetaminophen exposure before birth and autism or ADHD diagnoses. The results held across timing, dose, and frequency of use.
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A study of electronic health records from 2001 to 2023 found no association between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and autism or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children. Researchers examined more than 700,000 mother-child pairs in Hong Kong and focused on sibling pairs that differed in prenatal exposure.
The analysis included more than 124,000 children for autism outcomes and more than 97,000 children for ADHD outcomes. Around 43 percent of the children were exposed to the drug in utero. The lack of association remained consistent regardless of trimester, dose, or frequency of use.
The study compared siblings born to the same mothers, with some exposed to acetaminophen and others not. This design accounts for genetic factors that influence both autism and ADHD. Previous studies in Sweden and Japan using similar sibling comparisons also reported no association.
The new findings were published June 29 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
