25Feb
A new study published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics suggests that taking the endocrine hormone drug acetaminophen during pregnancy may raise the risk of behaviour disorders in the children.
The research involved 64,000 families in the Danish National Birth Cohort. The mothers were asked questions about the frequency of their acetaminophen use during pregnancy, and their children’s behaviour. Diagnoses of hyperkinetic disorder (HKD) – a severe form of ADHD – and a number of prescriptions for ADHD medications were tracked during the study.
It turned out that over half the women used acetaminophen during pregnancy. Researchers found that the risk for ADHD in the children in the first seven years of life increased by 30%. The children were also 50% more likely to be prescribed an ADHD medication.
“When women reported having used acetaminophen for 20 or more weeks during pregnancy, the risk for HKD diagnosis in children almost doubled,” the authors write.
The researchers say the results held up even when they accounted for factors like maternal mental health, inflammation, and infection during pregnancy.
The study authors explain that acetaminophen can cross the placenta and eventually affect the developing nervous system. They say it is “possible that acetaminophen may interrupt brain development by interfering with maternal hormones or via neurotoxicity such as the induction of oxidative stress that can cause neuronal death.”
Since there could be a lot of genetic and environmental factors behind behavioural and attention disorders, the authors say that it’s too early to make any specific recommendations for pregnant women. However, they note that the results “underline the importance of not taking a drug’s safety during pregnancy for granted.”
The research involved 64,000 families in the Danish National Birth Cohort. The mothers were asked questions about the frequency of their acetaminophen use during pregnancy, and their children’s behaviour. Diagnoses of hyperkinetic disorder (HKD) – a severe form of ADHD – and a number of prescriptions for ADHD medications were tracked during the study.
It turned out that over half the women used acetaminophen during pregnancy. Researchers found that the risk for ADHD in the children in the first seven years of life increased by 30%. The children were also 50% more likely to be prescribed an ADHD medication.
“When women reported having used acetaminophen for 20 or more weeks during pregnancy, the risk for HKD diagnosis in children almost doubled,” the authors write.
The researchers say the results held up even when they accounted for factors like maternal mental health, inflammation, and infection during pregnancy.
The study authors explain that acetaminophen can cross the placenta and eventually affect the developing nervous system. They say it is “possible that acetaminophen may interrupt brain development by interfering with maternal hormones or via neurotoxicity such as the induction of oxidative stress that can cause neuronal death.”
Since there could be a lot of genetic and environmental factors behind behavioural and attention disorders, the authors say that it’s too early to make any specific recommendations for pregnant women. However, they note that the results “underline the importance of not taking a drug’s safety during pregnancy for granted.”
via Smart Health Shop Forum http://ift.tt/1flVzU5
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