Overview

• A new Environmental Health analysis of 46 international studies covering over 100,000 participants reports that higher-quality research more consistently observes associations between prenatal paracetamol exposure and increased autism and ADHD incidence.
• Authors highlight proposed mechanisms—oxidative stress, hormonal disruption and epigenetic alterations—as biologically plausible pathways linking maternal acetaminophen use to fetal brain development impacts.
• Despite consistent observational findings, investigators caution that causation has not been established and emphasize the need for randomized trials or alternative research designs to confirm these links.
• Guidance now urges pregnant women to use the lowest effective paracetamol dose for the shortest duration under medical supervision while avoiding self-medication for noncritical pain.
• Experts stress that untreated maternal fever or severe pain can also pose risks, so non-drug remedies and clinician consultation remain essential components of prenatal care.