Prenatal exposure to acetaminophen and children's language development at 30 months
C-G Bornehag1, A Reichenberg2, M Unenge Hallerback3
1Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden; Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY, USA.
Summary
Prenatal acetaminophen (APAP) exposure was linked to language delay in girls, but not boys. Pregnant women should consider limiting APAP use to support healthy child development.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Reproductive Toxicology
Background:
- Acetaminophen (APAP) is a common analgesic used during pregnancy.
- Prenatal exposure to medications can impact fetal development.
- Language development is a critical milestone in early childhood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between prenatal acetaminophen exposure and language development in offspring at 30 months of age.
- To assess if acetaminophen exposure during pregnancy affects language delay in children.
Main Methods:
- Population-based pregnancy cohort study (SELMA study) with 754 women.
- Assessed APAP exposure via maternal report and urinary concentration.
- Evaluated child language development at 30 months using nurse's evaluation and parental questionnaires.
Main Results:
- Acetaminophen exposure was common (59.2% of women reported use).
- Language delay was more prevalent in boys (12.6%) than girls (4.1%).
- Prenatal APAP exposure was associated with increased odds of language delay in girls, but not boys.
Conclusions:
- Prenatal APAP use may be associated with language delay in female offspring.
- Findings suggest pregnant women may consider limiting acetaminophen use.
- Further replication studies are recommended to confirm these associations.
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