Is It Safe to Take Acetaminophen While Pregnant

When should I take acetaminophen during pregnancy?

If you have fever or pain during pregnancy, consider taking acetaminophen (Tylenol). But first check with your doctor or midwife. In fact, during pregnancy, always talk to your healthcare provider before taking any prescription or over-the-counter medications.

Find out why it's important to lower your fever during pregnancy.

Acetaminophen is considered the safest over-the-counter pain reliever and fever reliever to take during pregnancy. Available in liquid, capsule, tablet and suppository. Between 40 and 65% of pregnant women use acetaminophen at some point during pregnancy, mostly for headaches and fever.

It's a good idea to take the lowest dose you can to get the job done (to lower a fever or get rid of a headache), and never exceed your maximum daily dose. Acetaminophen may also appear with other medications, such as medications used to treat colds, headaches, and the flu. Therefore, you should include that amount in your daily count. Also, remember that other medications in these complex symptom formulations may not be safe to take during pregnancy.

What are the risks of taking Tylenol during pregnancy?

No drug is 100% safe to take during pregnancy. However, acetaminophen has been widely used for decades, and extensive research shows that it is safe to take during pregnancy. It has not been shown to increase the likelihood of miscarriage or birth defects.

Of course, it is important to take the correct dosage. Taking too much acetaminophen can cause liver and kidney damage and anemia in pregnant women and babies.

Researchers are studying whether taking acetaminophen during pregnancy may cause

Behavioral problems
Some animal studies suggest that taking acetaminophen, especially in high doses during pregnancy or later in pregnancy, may be associated with behavioral problems, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The FDA (2015) and the Society of Maternal-Fetal Medicine (2017) evaluated several studies and concluded that risk evidence for an association between acetaminophen and ADHD was inconclusive.

A later (2017) study of nearly 113,000 children in Norway found that women taking acetaminophen for more than 29 days during pregnancy were associated with an increased risk of ADHD. However, the researchers also found that fathers' use of acetaminophen was associated with ADHD, which is probably another cause of the increased risk. The researchers concluded that there was no solid evidence for a causal relationship between maternal acetaminophen use and ADHD.

An analysis of studies involving more than 132,000 mothers and children published in 2018 concluded that acetaminophen use during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of symptoms of ADHD, ASD, and hyperactivity. The researchers cautioned that all evidence was observational (based on data remembered and reported by participants) and prone to bias.

Asthma
Some studies have suggested a link between taking acetaminophen during pregnancy and wheezing or asthma in children. However, the link may be due to factors other than the drug itself.

A recent Swedish study of nearly half a million mothers and children found an association between childhood asthma/wheezing and acetaminophen use during pregnancy, but the researchers concluded that the association was not causal. In other words, acetaminophen does not cause childhood symptoms, but women who take acetaminophen during pregnancy are more likely to develop asthma. Other factors (such as fever, chronic pain, or anxiety in mothers taking acetaminophen) may be the cause.

Cryptochidism
In this condition, one or both testicles do not descend, and some studies have shown that exposure to acetaminophen, particularly during the second and fourth weeks of pregnancy, increases the chance that boys will be born with latent orchosis. More research is needed to identify and explore possible reasons for the association.

Experts believe that these possible risks are no reason not to take acetaminophen for pain relief during pregnancy or to reduce fever, but talk to your healthcare provider, especially if you need it often.

Should certain women avoid taking acetaminophen together during pregnancy?

Most women can take acetaminophen during pregnancy, but there are certain cases in which it should be limited or avoided entirely.

If you have hepatitis A, B, or C, your healthcare provider will recommend taking no more than 2 g (4 500 mg tablets) of acetaminophen per day for only a few days.

Do not take acetaminophen at all if you have progressive complex cirrhosis (scarring of the liver from disease).

What are some natural ways to relieve pain during pregnancy?

Sometimes mild or moderate pain can be overcome with natural ways such as:

A warm bath or shower. Warm water can help relieve mild muscle pain. Do not make the water too hot.

Bing. Apply ice to the injured area to reduce inflammation and numb pain. To avoid damaging the skin, place one layer between the ice and the skin and leave for 15 to 20 minutes at a time.

heat. Apply a heating pad to the sore area to soothe sore muscles. Do not make it too hot and do not apply it directly to the abdomen.

Exercise. Moving your body can release endorphins, hormones that help you better cope with pain. Stretching your spine, muscles, and ligaments can help relieve pain and tension.

massage. Massage therapists experienced in treating pregnant women can help relieve stress and pain in muscles, tendons, and ligaments.

Meditation, relaxation and guidance images. It can be useful to train the mind and body to interpret and cope with pain differently.

sleep. While you sleep, your body heals and your mind rests, so you can tolerate pain better.

Learn some tips for resolving the aches and pains you may face in our summary of common pregnancy aches and pains.

Acetaminophen is known as the safest analgesic and antipyretic agent for pregnant women and is widely used worldwide. However, prenatal acetaminophen is associated with asthma, low performance intelligence (IQ), anogenital distance in short male infants (low predictive of male fertility), autism spectrum disorders, neurodevelopmental problems (gross motor development, communication), attention deficits and reported to be related. /hyperactivity disorder, poor attention and executive functioning, behavioral problems in childhood. Each article lacks the power to show the dangers of acetaminophen, but combining articles showing the side effects of acetaminophen may have the power to show it. Early childhood acetaminophen use has been associated with autism spectrum disorders, asthma symptoms, wheezing, and allergic conditions.

Acetaminophen is the safest drug as an analgesic for nociceptive pain and fever in children and pregnancy. There are no alternative medications for acetaminophen. Acetaminophen should not be withheld from use in children or pregnant women for fear of causing side effects. Acetaminophen should be used at the lowest effective dose and for the shortest time. If you are aware of the rare but serious complications, you should only use acetaminophen during pregnancy when necessary, and no safer options for pain or fever are available. Healthcare providers should help inform the general public about this difficult dilemma.