Acetaminophen is a painkiller drug that is most commonly prescribed to the pregnant women. But a recent study disclosed that the drug has some severe side effects as it may result in increasing the risk for certain behavioral issues.
A research conducted by some scholars in Norway who observed about 113,000 children whose mothers were administered with acetaminophen during pregnancy and they reported that the kids were diagnosed with slight symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) which is a condition in which people face difficulty in focusing on the tasks and paying attention.
According to the medical practitioners, the women who consume medicine for more than 29 days during their pregnancy have their kids diagnosed with the twice impact of ADHD in comparison to the women who did not use the drug at all. If the consumption was only for a week or two, then the kids exhibit a reduced level of risk of ADHD.
The acetaminophen drug has a brand name Tylenol, but it is also present in other pain relievers.
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There were many previous researches on the same, but a recent research was made by Eivind Ystrom, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo who aimed at finding the connection between the prenatal acetaminophen and ADHD.
According to experts, it is not right to blame on the medication only.
Christina Chambers co-director, Center for Better Beginnings, University of California, San Diego put her comments as an observant. She said that there are numerous women all over the world who are consuming acetaminophen during pregnancy, but the focus was also given on the health condition of the woman. She also said that with current research it is not possible to conclude whether the drug is responsible for the disease or there are some other factors also.
She through her comments focus on the health condition of the women and suggested that the women can use acetaminophen for fever as fever may impact the pregnancy. She said, “This study suggests that if there is a causal association between acetaminophen and ADHD, it’s with more-chronic use.”
She mentioned that the medication has a connection with the risk of ADHD only because of the biological changes in the body.
She also supported the study and said that a study reported the long-term effect of acetaminophen stimulates the ADHD development, i.e. modest effects. She also added, “The risk to any one woman would be small.”