Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 23, 2025

Long-term Behavioral and Reproductive Consequences of Embryonic Exposure to Low-dose Toxicants
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Long-term Behavioral and Reproductive Consequences of Embryonic Exposure to Low-dose Toxicants

Published on: March 6, 2018

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Intrauterine Exposure to Acetaminophen and Adverse Developmental Outcomes: Epidemiological Findings and

Zeyan Liew1,2, Andreas Ernst3,4

  • 1Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA. zeyan.liew@yale.edu.

Current Environmental Health Reports
|January 5, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Maternal acetaminophen use during pregnancy may increase risks for childhood asthma, ADHD, and genital malformations. Further research is needed to understand these associations and potential biological mechanisms.

Area of Science:

  • Perinatology
  • Developmental Toxicology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Acetaminophen (paracetamol) is widely used during pregnancy.
  • Intrauterine exposure concerns potential offspring health risks.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Review epidemiological evidence on acetaminophen exposure and child health.
  • Examine risks for asthma, neurodevelopmental disorders, and reproductive health.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of recent cohort studies.
  • Discussion of methodological challenges (confounding, measurement error).
  • Introduction of novel statistical methods and research designs.

Main Results:

  • Associations found between maternal acetaminophen use and increased risk of asthma.
  • Increased risk for neurodevelopmental disorders (ADHD, behavioral problems) and genital malformations in offspring.
  • Plausible biological mechanisms include oxidative stress, inflammation, and endocrine disruption.

Conclusions:

  • High prevalence of acetaminophen use during pregnancy warrants attention to associated child health outcomes.
  • Further research into causal and non-causal mechanisms is a priority.
Abstract

Keywords:
AcetaminophenAsthmaFetal developmentNeurodevelopmentParacetamolReproductive health

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