Acetaminophen exposure during pregnancy could potentially result in complications for your child.
From developmental disorders to reproductive or urogenital disorders, many novel studies are concluding that long-term use of Tylenol or acetaminophen products could harm a child’s health.
Below are some documented potential health effects found by scientists studying long-term Tylenol use during pregnancy.
Affect Fetal Development
In a particular study understanding how Tylenol use results in neurodevelopmental disorders, researchers found that certain disorders could be caused by the acetaminophen’s ability to pass through the placenta.
According to researchers, acetaminophen use during pregnancy may disrupt cell development and cause placental damage.
Although the research is not conclusive, researchers believe that this damage to the placenta could be a reason why Tylenol might cause fetal development issues.
Moreover, researchers also found that long-term acetaminophen use lasting more than one trimester increases the risk of developing attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and hyperkinetic disorders.
Development of Reproductive or Urogenital Disorder
In one study, researchers hypothesized that prolonged acetaminophen use during pregnancy could lead to cryptorchidism and hypospadias.
Cryptorchidism is a condition where one or both testicles of the male fetus fail to descend into the scrotum.
Hypospadias is a condition in which the opening of the urinary tract fails to develop correctly and instead opens on the underside of the penis.
According to a Danish study, 47% of mothers were exposed to branded or generic acetaminophen at some point during their pregnancy.
Researchers found that exposure to paracetamol during the first and second trimesters increases the risk of cryptorchidism.
Increased Risk of Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Lastly, research has indicated that there may be an increased risk for the development of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in long-term Tylenol use.
This has been the cause of the surging Tylenol autism lawsuits recently.
There have been numerous studies relating Tylenol use to neurodevelopmental disorders.
In a meta-analysis of over 2,000 studies aiming to understand the link between acetaminophen and ASD, researchers found that the neurodevelopmental effect of Tylenol pregnancy isn’t only limited to ASD and ADHD.
Researchers also found that it may extend to the child’s intelligence quotient, attention and executive function, communication ability, behavior, and psychomotor development.
