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Science Writing.- A new and rigorous review of the available information is conclusive: taking paracetamol during pregnancy does not increase the risk of autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or intellectual disability in children.
The study, led by City St George's University of London (UK) and published in 'The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Women's Health', is a meta-analysis of 43 studies whose results provide "strong evidence" that taking paracetamol during pregnancy is safe.
In September 2025, the Donald Trump administration suggested that taking this drug during pregnancy could interfere with the neurological development of children and cause autism. The statement sowed doubt in public opinion.
But, according to the authors of the new study, the Trump administration relied on previous reports that were biased, did not collect all the information needed to make such an assessment, and did not take into account siblings or family history, which are crucial.
For this new review, the team compiled 43 high-quality studies, conducted with methodologically rigorous research methods and that included comparisons with siblings.
The authors explain that the associations between paracetamol during pregnancy and autism, ADHD, or intellectual disabilities alluded to by the US administration may be due to other maternal factors, such as underlying pain, discomfort, fever, or genetic predisposition, rather than any direct effect of paracetamol.
Sibling Comparisons
In this review, the team examined 43 studies and compared pregnancies in which the mother had taken paracetamol with those that had not. The study results were grouped into two blocks among siblings born to the same mother, one in which the pregnant woman had taken paracetamol during pregnancy and another in which she had not (a method that helps control shared genetics, the family environment, and long-term parental characteristics that traditional studies usually do not take into account). Compared to pregnancies without exposure to acetaminophen, taking acetaminophen during pregnancy was confirmed to be unrelated to childhood autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability. You can also read: In sibling comparison studies, the data included 262,852 children evaluated for autism, 335,255 for ADHD, and 406,681 for intellectual disability. "Our findings suggest that the relationships described above are likely explained by genetic predisposition or other maternal factors, such as fever or underlying pain, rather than a direct effect of paracetamol itself," underlines Asma Khalil, Professor of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine at City St George's and director of the study. Khalil is clear: "paracetamol is still a safe option during pregnancy when taken as directed. This is important, as paracetamol is the first-line medication we recommend to pregnant women with pain or fever, so they should feel reassured knowing that they still have a safe option to relieve their symptoms." The authors hope this review will put an end to doubts about the use of paracetamol during pregnancy, because avoiding this drug when there is pain or high fever "can expose both the mother and the baby to known risks, in particular untreated maternal fever", they warn.
In this review, the team examined 43 studies and compared pregnancies in which the mother had taken paracetamol with those that had not. The study results were grouped into two blocks among siblings born to the same mother, one in which the pregnant woman had taken paracetamol during pregnancy and another in which she had not (a method that helps control shared genetics, the family environment, and long-term parental characteristics that traditional studies usually do not take into account). Compared to pregnancies without exposure to acetaminophen, taking acetaminophen during pregnancy was confirmed to be unrelated to childhood autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability. You can also read: In sibling comparison studies, the data included 262,852 children evaluated for autism, 335,255 for ADHD, and 406,681 for intellectual disability. "Our findings suggest that the relationships described above are likely explained by genetic predisposition or other maternal factors, such as fever or underlying pain, rather than a direct effect of paracetamol itself," underlines Asma Khalil, Professor of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine at City St George's and director of the study. Khalil is clear: "paracetamol is still a safe option during pregnancy when taken as directed. This is important, as paracetamol is the first-line medication we recommend to pregnant women with pain or fever, so they should feel reassured knowing that they still have a safe option to relieve their symptoms." The authors hope this review will put an end to doubts about the use of paracetamol during pregnancy, because avoiding this drug when there is pain or high fever "can expose both the mother and the baby to known risks, in particular untreated maternal fever", they warn.
A closed debate for the experts
Some scientists have highlighted the robustness of this meta-analysis, which has excluded lower quality studies and which represents a "timely and well-conducted systematic review" on the subject, says Professor Ian Douglas of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, to the scientific resource platform SMC UK.
