Painkiller
Experts warn pregnant women to be careful when taking paracetamol
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In a joint appeal by numerous scientists, pregnant women are urged to be very sensitive to paracetamol. Painkillers are also to be provided with warnings in the future.
Almost 100 scientists, doctors and public health professionals point out that there is now a growing body of research suggesting that the pain reliever paracetamol can inadvertently affect a baby’s development in the womb. Pregnant women are therefore asked to be particularly sensitive to the pain reliever. Meanwhile, experts are urging that in future appropriate warnings are placed on the packaging.
Paracetamol studies checked over the past 25 years
In a joint statement published on Friday in the journal Nature Reviews Endocrinology, the scientists outline their concerns and suggest that much more research needs to be done to understand the effects of acetaminophen during pregnancy.
The authors reviewed research over the past 25 years which suggested that paracetamol use during pregnancy could be associated with “negative neurological, genitourinary and reproductive outcomes”. However, the specialist pharmacist Luke Grzeskowiak from Flinders Medical Center in England, who is not one of the authors, added in this context that the absolute risks are “low” and that the majority of women who took painkillers stayed healthy and had healthy children.
More research needed
“If you think about the number of women who take this (paracetamol) during pregnancy, the vast majority – over 95 percent – will have a healthy baby,” said Grzeskowiak.
Although there has been some research suggesting an increased risk of undescended testicles, early puberty, or neurological conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) related to the drug, experts agree that it is still insufficient There is evidence of a full warning. “If it were a big problem, we would know by now,” added Grzeskowiak.
Warnings on medicine packs
He supported the study authors’ suggestion for better and more specific research in this area: “If we want better answers, we need better evidence”. In the statement, the doctors are now calling on pregnant women to use the lowest possible dose of pain reliever that is necessary to treat their specific problem and to talk to medical staff, pharmacists, doctors or even a midwife about the dangers, sums it up Australian portal “News.com.au” together.
According to the statement, warnings should also be placed on packages of medicines containing paracetamol. There are many drugs that contain paracetamol along with other ingredients. Warnings could help reduce possible confusion.
Sources: “Nature Reviews Endocrinology”, “News.com.au”
This article originally appeared on stern.de.