Paracetamol Use While Pregnant Doesn't Cause Autism or ADHD, Study

By Adebowale Bello. B.Tech Microbiology, Freelance Health Writer. Medically reviewed by the DLHA Team.

December 13, 2025.

An image of pregnant black lady sitting at a kitchen table and taking a pill by mouth with a glass of water in hand. AI generated image from Gemini.

Pregnancy comes with many decisions, some of which seem small but feel very important. One common question is whether taking paracetamol during pregnancy is safe.

Paracetamol, also known as acetaminophen, is a medication that many women use to manage pain or reduce fever. Recently, concerns have been raised that using it during pregnancy might be linked to conditions like autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children; but how strong is the evidence?

A new study has taken a close look at available research to help answer this question.

About the Study

The study is not a new experiment with pregnant women and their children. Instead, it is an umbrella review. This means the researchers collected and analysed existing systematic reviews — studies that already summarised many individual research papers.

By reviewing multiple systematic reviews, the researchers aimed to get a clear picture of what science really says about paracetamol use during pregnancy and the risk of brain problems in children.

The researchers looked at nine systematic reviews, which together included 40 original studies. Most of these studies followed children over time or compared children with and without exposure to paracetamol. The goal was to find patterns and see whether there was a reliable link between taking paracetamol in pregnancy and later development of autism or ADHD.

What the Study Found

The study found that while many previous reviews suggested a possible link, most of the evidence is weak. Most systematic reviews included in the study were rated as low or critically low in quality. There was also a lot of overlap between the studies reviewed, meaning the same research was being cited again and again. This reduces confidence in the findings.

Importantly, only a few studies used sibling-controlled designs. This means they compared siblings where one child was exposed to paracetamol in the womb and the other was not.  When using this method, the previously observed association between paracetamol use and autism or ADHD almost disappeared.

In simple terms, the strongest evidence we have does not show a clear risk of autism or ADHD from taking paracetamol during pregnancy. However, the review also highlighted that most studies had important limitations as many did not account for why the mother took paracetamol, how much she took or exactly when during pregnancy she took it.

What the Study Means for Africans

In African countries, paracetamol is widely available and commonly used for pain, fever and malaria-related symptoms during pregnancy.

The findings of this study are important because they help put fears into perspective. While it is always wise to use any medication carefully during pregnancy, there is currently no strong evidence that taking paracetamol as recommended will cause autism or ADHD in children.

Mothers should not panic if they have taken paracetamol for occasional pain or fever during pregnancy. The risk of harm from uncontrolled fever or severe pain can sometimes be higher than the potential but unproven risk from the medication.

African pregnant women should continue to talk with their healthcare providers before taking any medicine as they can provide guidance based on individual health needs, especially if there are other conditions such as high fever or malaria that need treatment.

Wrap Up

The review provides reassurance that the current evidence does not support a strong link between taking paracetamol during pregnancy and autism or ADHD in children. For African mothers, this means occasional use of paracetamol for pain or fever, under medical advice, is unlikely to pose a significant risk. The review also highlights the need for better, well-designed studies to provide more definitive answers.

Pregnancy is a time to be cautious but also informed as understanding the science behind common medicines like paracetamol helps mothers make decisions with confidence and reduces unnecessary worry.

Source: Sheikh, J, Allotey, J, Sobhy, S, Plana, MN, Martinez-Barros, H, Naidu, H, Junaid, F, Sofat, R, Mol, BW, Kenny, LC, Gladstone, M, Teede, H, Zamora, J, & Thangaratinam, S. (2025). Maternal paracetamol (acetaminophen) use during pregnancy and risk of autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder in offspring: Umbrella review of systematic reviews. BMJ, 391, e088141. Available from here

Related:

No Link between Acetaminophen and Autism, WHO says

Drug Facts for Africans: Acetaminophen

Common Primary Care Pain Medications in Use in Nigeria

Published: December 13, 2025

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