ArticleEuropean journal of epidemiology2021
Prenatal and postnatal exposure to acetaminophen in relation to autism spectrum and attention-deficit and hyperactivity symptoms in childhood: Meta-analysis in six European population-based cohorts.
Article in European journal of epidemiology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 39 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
39 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 80 citations in OpenAlex.
- Prenatal exposure to paracetamol and risk of autism spectrum disorder: systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.Revista brasileira de ginecologia e obstetricia : revista da Federacao Brasileira das Sociedades de Ginecologia e Obstetricia · 2026Pooled it
- Maternal paracetamol (acetaminophen) use during pregnancy and risk of autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder in offspring: umbrella review of systematic reviews.BMJ (Clinical research ed.) · 2025Pooled it
- Evaluation of the evidence on acetaminophen use and neurodevelopmental disorders using the Navigation Guide methodology.Environmental health : a global access science source · 2025Pooled it
- The science of child and adolescent mental health in Greece: a nationwide systematic review.European child & adolescent psychiatry · 2024Pooled it
- Dual medication therapy (acetaminophen and ibuprofen) for the management of patent ductus arteriosus in preterm infants: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association · 2022Pooled it
- Paracetamol (acetaminophen) use in infants and children was never shown to be safe for neurodevelopment: a systematic review with citation tracking.European journal of pediatrics · 2022Pooled it
- Supporting respiratory epithelia and lowering inflammation to effectively treat common cold symptoms: A randomized controlled trial.PloS one · 2024Trial
- The Effect of Antenatal Paracetamol on Breathing Effort of Premature Infants at Birth: A Feasibility Trial.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- A comprehensive overview of the biological foundations of ADHD.Bioscience reports · 2026Review
- Letter to Editor "Comments on self-medication with conventional and herbal medicines in pregnancy: prevalence and factors in Northwest Ethiopia".Annals of medicine and surgery (2012) · 2026Article
- Beyond the Headlines: Examining the Evidence Around Acetaminophen and Autism Risk.The journal of pediatric pharmacology and therapeutics : JPPT : the official journal of PPAG · 2026Article
- Prolonged Low-Dose Paracetamol Prophylaxis Accelerates Ductal Closure in Extremely Preterm Neonates: A Randomized Trial.Neonatology · 2026Article
- Paracetamol in Pregnancy: Reassurance Amidst Uncertainty.BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology · 2026Article
- Exposure to Acetaminophen (Paracetamol) during Pregnancy and Childhood Cancer: A Population-Based Cohort Study in Taiwan.Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology · 2026Article
- Prescription use of acetaminophen among pregnant women in Denmark from 2000 to 2023: A drug utilization study.British journal of clinical pharmacology · 2026Article
- Maternal infection - but not inflammation - is associated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms during childhood: a population-based cohort study.Brain, behavior, and immunity · 2026Article
- ACMT Position Statement: ACMT Responds to the Acetaminophen and Autism Controversy.Journal of medical toxicology : official journal of the American College of Medical Toxicology · 2026Article
- A risk prediction model for autism spectrum disorder integrating biopsychosocial factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis with multicenter validation.Translational pediatrics · 2025Article
- A Single Early-Life Acetaminophen Exposure Causes Persistent Abnormalities in the Murine Lung.American journal of respiratory cell and molecular biology · 2025Article
- NAPQI is absent in the mouse brain after sub-hepatotoxic and hepatotoxic doses of acetaminophen.Toxicological sciences : an official journal of the Society of Toxicology · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
23 authors at 15 institutions in 6 countries.
Funding
Abstract
The potential etiological role of early acetaminophen exposure on Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is inconclusive. We aimed to study this association in a collaborative study of six European population-based birth/child cohorts. A total of 73,881 mother-child pairs were included in the study. Prenatal and postnatal (up to 18 months) acetaminophen exposure was assessed through maternal questionnaires or interviews. ASC and ADHD symptoms were assessed at 4-12 years of age using validated instruments. Children were classified as having borderline/clinical symptoms using recommended cutoffs for each instrument. Hospital diagnoses were also available in one cohort. Analyses were adjusted for child and maternal characteristics along with indications for acetaminophen use. Adjusted cohort-specific effect estimates were combined using random-effects meta-analysis. The proportion of children having borderline/clinical symptoms ranged between 0.9 and 12.9% for ASC and between 1.2 and 12.2% for ADHD. Results indicated that children prenatally exposed to acetaminophen were 19% and 21% more likely to subsequently have borderline or clinical ASC (OR = 1.19, 95% CI 1.07-1.33) and ADHD symptoms (OR = 1.21, 95% CI 1.07-1.36) compared to non-exposed children. Boys and girls showed higher odds for ASC and ADHD symptoms after prenatal exposure, though these associations were slightly stronger among boys. Postnatal exposure to acetaminophen was not associated with ASC or ADHD symptoms. These results replicate previous work and support providing clear information to pregnant women and their partners about potential long-term risks of acetaminophen use.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.