A new* Danish study has raised questions about whether paracetamol use during pregnancy could be associated with changes in the reproductive development of baby girls. However, researchers stress that the findings do not prove that paracetamol causes these changes or affects future fertility.
What did the study find?
Published in Human Reproduction Open, the COPANA study examined 302 infant girls whose mothers’ paracetamol use during pregnancy had been closely recorded. Researchers found associations between prenatal exposure and differences in ovarian and uterine development.
Girls exposed during early pregnancy had, on average, smaller ovarian and uterine volumes, while exposure later in pregnancy was associated with fewer ovarian follicles — the structures that contain immature eggs.
Researchers also examined a separate group of 1,210 girls followed from infancy into adolescence. Some associations with smaller uterine and ovarian measurements were observed in this group as well.
The findings need careful interpretation
The study was observational, meaning researchers looked at associations rather than assigning women to take or avoid paracetamol. Therefore, it cannot establish that the medicine itself caused the developmental differences.
Experts have also pointed to possible confounding factors and said the clinical significance of the findings remains uncertain.
Importantly, researchers said women who took paracetamol during pregnancy should not be alarmed. The study cannot predict an individual child’s future fertility, and further research with long-term follow-up is needed.
Pregnant women should seek medical advice
Paracetamol remains widely used to treat pain and fever during pregnancy. Untreated fever and significant pain can themselves carry risks, making it important for pregnant women to discuss medicines with their doctor rather than stopping prescribed or medically advised treatment on their own.