Paracetamol in pregnancy not linked to ADHD or autism

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2026-06-30 01:00

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A large study of over 120,000 children has found no link between paracetamol use during pregnancy and the risk of ADHD or autism. The study compared pairs of siblings to try to remove genetics and family environment from the equation, as both ADHD and autism have a strong inherited component. The researchers found no link between paracetamol use in pregnancy and increased risk of either autism or ADHD, regardless of the timing, pattern, and dose of paracetamol use.

News release

From: JAMA

Prenatal Acetaminophen (Paracetamol) Use and the Risk of Autism and/or ADHD Among Sibling-Matched Cohorts

About The Study: In this population-based cohort study, a sibling-matched analysis found no evidence of an association between prenatal paracetamol (acetaminophen) exposure and the risk of autism spectrum disorder or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in offspring. The positive signals observed in conventional studies are likely attributable to residual familial confounding. These findings provide important reassurance regarding the safety of indicated paracetamol use during pregnancy.

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Editorial / Opinion JAMA, Web page Please link to the article in online versions of your report (the URL will go live after the embargo ends).

Journal/
conference: JAMA Internal Medicine

Research: Link to Paper 1 | Paper 2

Organisation/s: University of Hong Kong

Funder: Data collectionwas mainly funded by the Hong Kong Research Grants Council General Research Fund (No. RIMA 17114921). Thisworkwas also partially supported by the Laboratory ofData Discovery for Health (to Dr I.C.K.Wong), which is funded by AIR@InnoHK and administered by the Innovation and Technology Commission.

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