SynthesisEnvironmental health : a global access science source2025
Evaluation of the evidence on acetaminophen use and neurodevelopmental disorders using the Navigation Guide methodology.
Synthesis in Environmental health : a global access science source, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 21 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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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
21 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- 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
- Validation of an AI-Assisted Framework for Systematic Bias Assessment in Observational Studies.Journal of evaluation in clinical practice · 2026Article
- Prenatal over-the-counter acetaminophen use and birth outcomes in the ECHO Cohort.American journal of epidemiology · 2026Article
- Acetaminophen use in pregnancy and autism: separating controversy from scientific evidence.Obstetrics & gynecology science · 2026Review
- Safety and Effectiveness of Pain Medications for Migraine Management During Pregnancy and Lactation.Paediatric drugs · 2026Review
- A comprehensive overview of the biological foundations of ADHD.Bioscience reports · 2026Review
- The Prenatal Dilemma: Fever vs Acetaminophen? Navigating a Difficult Choice.ACS pharmacology & translational science · 2026Article
- Interpretation and the art of care- Gadamer's hermeneutics and physician wellbeing.Philosophy, ethics, and humanities in medicine : PEHM · 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
- [Pain management during pregnancy : A balancing act between benefits and risks].Schmerz (Berlin, Germany) · 2026Review
- Paracetamol in Pregnancy: Uncertain Evidence, Certain Consequences.The Medical journal of Australia · 2026Article
- Paracetamol in Pregnancy: Reassurance Amidst Uncertainty.BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology · 2026Article
- Is paracetamol in pregnancy a risk factor for ADHD?Nature · 2026Article
- Paracetamol in pregnancy: Navigating clinical uncertainty and avoiding the communication pitfalls of the "measles, mumps, and rubella" - autism controversy: A narrative review.EXCLI journal · 2026Review
- 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
- The interaction between paracetamol and ethanol during the early development of zebrafish.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2026Article
- The KLOTHO Birth Cohort: Maternal and Neonatal Vitamin D Status and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes at 10 Years.Nutrients · 2025Article
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Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundAcetaminophen is the most commonly used over-the-counter pain and fever medication taken during pregnancy, with > 50% of pregnant women using acetaminophen worldwide. Numerous well-designed studies have indicated that pregnant mothers exposed to acetaminophen have children diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), including autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), at higher rates than children of pregnant mothers who were not exposed to acetaminophen.
methodsWe applied the Navigation Guide methodology to the scientific literature to comprehensively and objectively examine the association between prenatal acetaminophen exposure and NDDs and related symptomology in offspring. We conducted a systematic PubMed search through February 25, 2025, using predefined inclusion criteria and rated studies based on risk of bias and strength of evidence. Due to substantial heterogeneity, we opted for a qualitative synthesis, consistent with the Navigation Guide's focus on environmental health evidence.
resultsWe identified 46 studies for inclusion in our analysis. Of these, 27 studies reported positive associations (significant links to NDDs), 9 showed null associations (no significant link), and 4 indicated negative associations (protective effects). Higher-quality studies were more likely to show positive associations. Overall, the majority of the studies reported positive associations of prenatal acetaminophen use with ADHD, ASD, or NDDs in offspring, with risk-of-bias and strength-of-evidence ratings informing the overall synthesis.
conclusionsOur analyses using the Navigation Guide thus support evidence consistent with an association between acetaminophen exposure during pregnancy and increased incidence of NDDs. Appropriate and immediate steps should be taken to advise pregnant women to limit acetaminophen consumption to protect their offspring's neurodevelopment.
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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.