Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: Acetaminophen Use During Pregnancy and the Risk of Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Childhood
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To explore the association between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) in children.
METHOD: We conducted a comprehensive search of major bibliographic databases and gray literature to identify human studies evaluating the association between prenatal acetaminophen exposure and the risk of NDDs in offspring. Pooled odds ratios (ORpooled) with 95% confidence intervals were calculated in random-effects meta-analysis by type of NDD. We performed sensitivity analysis including a bounding method (E-value) and probabilistic bias analysis.
RESULTS: Of 2,002 studies retrieved, 16 studies met eligibility criteria, and were included in the meta-analysis. The majority of studies assessing the risk of NDDs associated with gestational exposure to acetaminophen were on attention-deficit disorders with or without hyperactivity (ADHD, 6 studies, N = 2,668,689), followed by language disorders (5 studies, N = 31,104) and psychomotor developmental disorders/delay (3 studies, N = 30,824). Acetaminophen use during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of ADHD, when ADHD was assessed with a physician-based diagnosis or psychometric tests (ORpooled = 1.17, 95% CI = 1.08-1.27). The estimated E-value of 1.61 suggests that the observed association may be partly due to unmeasured confounders. Non-differential exposure misclassification biased results toward the null and differential misclassification potentially biased them away…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a meta-analysis, done in people. Its evidence level is 1 of 5 (Highest · pooled evidence). Pooled evidence from several studies sits at the top of the evidence pyramid. Reported size: 2,668,689 participants or records.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Effect of dexamethasone as an analgesic adjuvant to multimodal pain treatment after total knee arthroplasty: randomised clinical trial
- Effect of a Postoperative Multimodal Opioid-Sparing Protocol vs Standard Opioid Prescribing on Postoperative Opioid Consumption After Knee or Shoulder Arthroscopy: A Randomized Clinical Trial
- Comparison of the Post-Caesarean Analgesic Effect of Adding Dexmedetomidine to Paracetamol and Ketorolac: A Randomized Clinical Trial
- A triple-blind randomized clinical trial of different associations between dexamethasone and non-steroids anti-inflammatories for preemptive action in third molar extractions
- An open label randomized clinical trial of Indomethacin for mild and moderate hospitalised Covid-19 patients
- Oral paracetamol and/or ibuprofen for treating pain after soft tissue injuries: Single centre double-blind, randomised controlled clinical trial
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.