Taking this super common prescription medicine while pregnant has been associated with ADHD in children

Waiting mothers may want to think twice the next time they are in the pharmacy.

Disorder of attention/hyperactivity deficit (ADHD) is a common behavior state affecting approximately 7 million American children, including about one million children diagnosed since 2016.

The reason for the latest increase in diagnoses is in debate.

Researchers analyzed blood samples from 307 pregnant women between 2006 and 2011 and found that children born for mothers who used acetaminophen during pregnancy had an 18% prevalence of ADHD, compared to 9% in children whose mothers did not take popular pain over -Counter.

In particular, the likelihood of an ADHD diagnosis were more than three times larger in children whose mothers had detectable levels of acetaminophen in their blood.

Even more extraordinary is that girls were six times more likely to develop ADHD if the mother used acetaminophen during pregnancy, while the effect was less pronounced among the sounds.

Acetaminophen treats fever, headaches, muscle aches and menstrual cramps.

Not everyone realizes that it is also the main active ingredient in Tylenol, which is usually described to expect mothers to relieve concern.

About 40% to 60% of pregnant women receive tylenol at a point of their pregnancy.

While the drug is generally considered safe to use during pregnancy, study author Lead Brennan Baker, a researcher at the Seattle Children’s Research Institute (Scri), noted that previous research increased on the self-reported date, which may not accurately reflect acetaminopenia.

“This drug was also approved by decades and may need a reassessment from the FDA,” said co -author Dr. Sheela Sathyanarayana, a pediatrician in Scri. “Acetaminophen was never appreciated for fetal exposures regarding the long-term impacts of neuro-development.”

Previous research on the possible link between the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy and ADHD have produced mixed results. For example, a major Swedish study found no connection, while Norwegian research identified a link.

In 2015, the US Food and Drug Administration said that studies on the security of using tylenol while they were pregnant “very limited to make any recommendations”.

But the agency recommended that pregnant women seek advice from their doctor before taking tylenol.

“Due to this uncertainty, the use of pain medication during pregnancy should be taken care of carefully,” the FDA statement said. “We urgent pregnant women to always discuss all medicines with their health care professionals before using them.”