Association Between Prenatal Acetaminophen Exposure and Future Risk of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Neurology
• Developmental Psychology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Acetaminophen is a common medication used during pregnancy for pain and fever relief.
• Concerns exist regarding potential neurodevelopmental effects of prenatal medication exposure.
• Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder in children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the association between prenatal acetaminophen exposure and the subsequent development of ADHD in children.
• To synthesize findings from existing prospective clinical trials on this topic.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive literature searches were conducted in MEDLINE, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, and Cochrane Database up to June 2015.
• Included prospective clinical trials comparing maternal acetaminophen use during pregnancy with ADHD or ADHD-like behaviors in offspring (ages 3-12 years).
• Four relevant studies were identified and analyzed.

Main Results:

• Three of the four identified studies indicated a statistically significant correlation between prenatal acetaminophen use and ADHD behaviors.
• One study reported a higher risk of ADHD medication use (HR=1.29) and ADHD-like behaviors (RR=1.13) in children exposed prenatally.
• An earlier study found no association between prenatal acetaminophen exposure and ADHD behaviors.

Conclusions:

• A mild correlation exists between prenatal acetaminophen use and the development of ADHD symptoms.
• Current data are insufficient to establish a causal relationship between prenatal acetaminophen exposure and the long-term development of ADHD.
• Acetaminophen remains a preferred choice for pain and fever management during pregnancy compared to NSAIDs or opioids.