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Medicine Biotech Science

Acetaminophen In Pregnancy May Be Linked To Higher Risk of ADHD, Autism (newsweek.com) 57

Posted by EditorDavid from the neurodiversity-news dept.
schwit1 tipped us off to an interesting new study. Newsweek reports: Babies of women who took acetaminophen -- a common painkiller marketed in the U.S. under the brand name Tylenol -- near the end of pregnancy had a higher likelihood of being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders or with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a study published in JAMA Psychiatry.

The study, conducted by researchers from the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, cross referenced blood samples taken from the mother after the baby's birth and samples taken from the babies' umbilical cords, which were used to assess how much acetaminophen the mother had ingested. A mother-to-be who takes Tylenol during their pregnancy is liable to have some of the medication reach a developing fetus, as the drug has been demonstrated to cross the placenta, according to United Press International (UPI). The children involved in the study were reexamined when they were around 10 years old. Researchers found that those children whose umbilical cords had contained higher levels of acetaminophen were significantly more likely to have an autism spectrum disorder or ADHD than the children who did not appear to have been exposed to acetaminophen in utero.

According to UPI's analysis of the findings, "the odds of these developmental disorders were more than twice as high in children exposed to acetaminophen near the time of birth. The association was strongest between exposure to acetaminophen and ADHD in the child."
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Acetaminophen In Pregnancy May Be Linked To Higher Risk of ADHD, Autism More

Acetaminophen In Pregnancy May Be Linked To Higher Risk of ADHD, Autism

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  • Class action lawsuit coming in 3...2...

  • Comment removed based on user account deletion

  • Correlation is not causation (Score:5, Interesting)

    by gweihir ( 88907 ) on Saturday November 09, 2019 @02:22PM (#59397840)

    Any factor that may have made the mother take acetaminophen may be what caused the actual observation in the babies. There is no reason to assume a causation here without some actual proof that there is.

    • Huh? Is this a troll?

      She could have just had a headache, or a sore back. Yes these things may be caused by pregnancy.

      This study just says there is a statistical link between the two things. But that's what science is. Future studies my show babies with ADHD brains produce more of chemical X which may cause pain.

      • Re: (Score:3)

        by sjames ( 1099 )

        They should do a study in the city of Townsville.

      • That's his point. It could be the headaches which cause ADHD, and the acetaminophen is correlated only because pregnant women experiencing headaches were more likely to take it. Correlation studies are a dime a dozen. OTOH a paper which establishes causality can win you the Nobel Prize [nobelprize.org].

        FWIW, I had to stop using acetaminophen because it was actually causing me to experience headaches when I used it for pain relief. So I don't deny it could have unforeseen interactions with brain chemistry. But it's a l

        • Or the education-level (or correlations which CAUSE the education level) to pick acetaminophen over aspirin, ibuprofen, etc. Tylenol (acetaminophen) is generally considered SAFER and is a knee-jerk reaction from health-care folks. So a causal factor for access to health-care could be a causal factor -- ie. money, a job, etc.

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by gweihir ( 88907 )

            Indeed. Going from correlation to causation can be incredibly hard and can lead to very unexpected results.

  • The Anti-vaccine community ... (Score:4, Funny)

    by surfcow ( 169572 ) on Saturday November 09, 2019 @02:25PM (#59397850) Homepage

    It this turns out to be true, the Anti-vaccine community will have a collective embolism.

    All this time, it was Mom's Tylenol, not the vaccines.

    Q: Do they still give Tylenol to women in labor? Please stop.

    • It's been the only thing pregnant women could take for pain until the actual delivery. Of course they're taking it and good luck getting them to stop.

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by HiThere ( 15173 )

      By the time they're in labor it no longer makes any difference.

  • Is there a single woman who hasn't taken a Tylenol?

    • Many. Some people are against all drugs, even Tylenol. Some former addicts that won't even take asprin. Then there are foreigners that may not have access to modern drugs, or trust more in their version of chicken soup.

      There are those with religious beliefs. Some Amish and Jehovah's Witnesses may object to Tylenol.

      And then of course there are people that simply prefer Asprin. There are not a lot of the Bayer family, but who wants to bet they prefer Bayer Asprin rather than any other drug.

      Finally, and

    • Is there a single woman who hasn't taken a Tylenol?

      Single women don't take Tylenol; married women do. As in:

      "Not tonight, dear. I have a headache. Where's the Tylenol?"

      • Guy comes into the bedroom, wife asks "what you got there hon". "A glass of water and a Tylenol." "You got a headache?" "No, you?" "No." "Good...!"

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by dfghjk ( 711126 )

      DURING PREGNANCY. And yes, of course there is. You think Tylenol was invented concurrently with the advent of pregnancy?

      "Oh please."

    • Yes, my wife is allergic to the stuff.

  • Mechanism mystery? (Score:4, Informative)

    by deviated_prevert ( 1146403 ) on Saturday November 09, 2019 @03:02PM (#59397980) Journal
    The chemical compound Cx8+Hx9+N+Ox2 or "acetaminophen" is known to increase hepatocyte death and can kill in large doses especially if taken in excess with alcohol. If it does enter the brain in the third trimester and create abnormal synaptic nerve creation patterns then the mechanism at work must be investigated. Possible activity as an inhibitor of cellular creation the way some of the new direct acting antivirals work? Or perhaps the nerves and dendrites of the human brain when forming need some form of mild pain like stimulus to connect correctly during the essential final stages necessary for the formation of the human brain in utero, thus this compound might be damaging the final stages of the process?

    Until at least these possibilities are examined we cannot know for certain whether or not this chemical is dangerous to the fetus. But at the same time we also need to very critically find out how much acetaminophen has been taken by the mothers who gave birth. Johnson and Johnson has historically resisted putting stronger warnings on this medication for liver patients and alcoholics. If one of their biggest cash cows does turn out not safe for pregnant women then you can bet they will again lobby to keep Mr. and Mrs. J Q Public in the dark about how dangerous the overuse of tylenol and the generics of it can be.

    I say this as I take my extra strength Robax with acetaminophen seeing that I have not had a beer this week fortunately I am not pregnant!

  • I don't know why anyone would take or give acetaminophen in the first place. It does absolutely nothing for me, or for anyone in my family, most of my friends, or most people I have asked. At times, I think it is a huge conspiracy. It is especially puzzling that hospitals continue to push the stuff and that it is added to so many compound meds.

    Ibuprofen, on the other hand, seems to be very effective. It actually does something for pain, but also inflammation, AND it is effective for fever, too.

    • All medication has side effects, NSAIDs like aspirin and ibuprofen cause 2 fatal cardiovascular events per 1000 patients per year. Carry on bullshitting about medical issues and your ignorance will cause harm. Everyone else please take note of the potential side effects of anything you take and get help if you think you have them.

      Background information from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/p... [nih.gov]

      • >"All medication has side effects"

        I never said anything to the contrary. I was posting about efficacy. Please point to anything in my post that said ibuprofen was "safe" or "without side effects" or "less dangerous."

        >"NSAIDs like aspirin and ibuprofen cause 2 fatal cardiovascular events per 1000 patients per year."

        And acetaminophen is toxic to the liver and can kill you quickly from an overdose. It is estimated acetaminophen toxicity kills some 458 people in the USA every year. Ibuprofen is much h

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by PCM2 ( 4486 )

      It is especially puzzling that hospitals continue to push the stuff and that it is added to so many compound meds.

      I've heard one reason it's added to compound meds is so that the pharma company can patent the new combination once the patent on the original ingredient, without the acetaminophen, has run out.

      I've also heard it said that it's added to things like opioid painkillers precisely because of its impact on the liver. The idea is that if you abuse the pills (say, by grinding them up to inject them), you get sick.

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