According to the recent approximation, consumption of acetaminophen during pregnancy or lactating period might lead to Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. But, scientists are still struggling hard to find the relationship between them as they have not got any evidence yet. Consuming acetaminophen doubles the chances of the disorder.
What is Acetaminophen?
Acetaminophen is solely a paracetamol that forms the basic element of the majority of medicines prescribed by doctors today. Nine months of pregnancy is a very painful phase of a women’s life. Doctors usually recommend acetaminophen to give them relief from pain.
But, according to the Eivind Ystrom, the lead researcher of the study says, “Women who are in need of acetaminophen should consult their healthcare provider for an alternative of the painkiller as prolonged use of acetaminophen might increase the chances of ADHD.”
What is ADHD?
ADHD is a chronic disorder that leads to impulsiveness, difficulty in attending and hyperactivity. However, its cause, effect and the relationship between both is still a mystery. The study involved the gathering of statistics from mothers who were 18 weeks pregnant. About 47% of the women consumed acetaminophen throughout their pregnancy, 27% of them in the period of three months’ while 16% of them over the period of six months.
Researchers came to the conclusion that women who consumed acetaminophen for more than 29 days noticed the increased risk of ADHD by 220 percent. Ystrom says still further investigation needs to be conducted as they have not got any evidence claiming the cause and effect.
Dr. Alison Cahill appreciates the efforts put down by the group of researchers for this study. But the study means nothing without any evidence or fact. “For overcoming the future challenges and beliefs of the scenario we need some sort of confirmation and biological sense”, she adds. Women should go with paracetamol if and only if recommended by board-certified doctors or medical providers.