Various studies over the years have linked prenatal use of the pain reliever paracetamol (acetaminophen) with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children, but many of the studies were small, poorly designed, or found only weak associations. A recent “umbrella” review in Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology reveals that the available scientific evidence does not support a causal relationship between paracetamol and neurodevelopmental disorders.

For the review, 7 meta-analyses were included, encompassing more than 3 million participants. Unrestricted assessments showed small positive associations between prenatal paracetamol exposure and both autism and ADHD, but after restricting assessments to higher-quality meta-analyses and studies, effect estimates were substantially attenuated and approached null. No robust epidemiological evidence supported a causal association.