Article posted Wednesday, September 10, 2014 11:48am

Should pregnant women take Tylenol (acetaminophen)? Perhaps not, if a recent survey of 41,000 pairs of mothers and children is to be believed. A Danish birth registry with medical files was the source of the investigation. Tylenol is the most widely used drug taken by pregnant women, with more than half of them using the pain reliever between 1996 and 2002. These mothers were questioned about the behavior of their resultant children, and the survey indicated that children whose mothers used Tylenol (or other brands of acetaminophen) were 37 percent more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder) than children whose mothers did not use the drug during their pregnancy. If the mother used the drug during all three trimesters, their children had a 61 percent higher risk for behavioral problems. Research has definitely shown that fetuses are exposed to acetaminophen via the placenta. Obviously, more research is needed to confirm these findings. (Liew et al, 2014, JAMA Pediatrics, April issue; Science News, April 5, 2014)