Overview
- An umbrella review in The BMJ examined nine systematic reviews covering 40 observational studies on prenatal paracetamol exposure and later autism or ADHD.
- Seven of the nine reviews urged caution due to bias and unmeasured confounders, and overall confidence was rated low to critically low.
- Analyses that accounted for shared family factors, including sibling comparisons, found the apparent associations disappeared or markedly weakened.
- Paracetamol remains the recommended option for treating pain or fever during pregnancy, with experts warning that untreated high temperature poses risks.
- The review was fast-tracked after the White House urged pregnant women to avoid paracetamol, and the authors advise using it when needed.