Does acetaminophen use during pregnancy lead to ADHD?
Acetaminophen use during pregnancy may be linked to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in offspring.
Acetaminophen use during pregnancy may be linked to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in offspring. A prospective Danish study of more than 64,000 mothers and their children found that more than half of all mothers used acetaminophen while pregnant. Compared with children whose mothers did not take acetaminophen during pregnancy, the children whose mothers did were more likely to receive a hospital diagnosis of hyperkinetic disorder and, by the time they were 7 years old, to use ADHD medications or have ADHD-like behaviors (Liew Z, et al. JAMA Pediatr. 2014;168[4]:313-320).
MS FREEDMAN is a freelance medical editor and writer in New Jersey. She has nothing to disclose in regard to affiliations with or financial interests in any organizations that may have an interest in any part of this article.
