Paracetamol in pregnancy may up autism, ADHD risk in kids    

London:
Taking common painkillers during pregnancy more often is likely to
raise the risk of autism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD) in children, especially boys, new research warns.

The
findings also showed that pre-natal exposure to paracetamol raises
the risk of autism spectrum diseases more in boys.

“The
male brain may be more vulnerable to harmful influences during early
life. Our differing gender results suggest that androgenic endocrine
disruption, to which male brains could be more sensitive, may explain
the association,” lead author Claudia Avella-Garcia, researcher
at Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), a
Spanish research organisation.

On
the other hand, maternal intake of paracetamol increased the risk of
ADHD in children of both genders.

Persistently
exposed children in particular showed poorer performance in
attention, impulsivity and visual speed processing.

“An
increase in the number of symptoms that a child has, can affect him
or her, even if they are not severe enough to warrant a clinical
diagnosis of a neurodevelopmental disorder,” Avella-Garcia
added.

The
exposed children were at higher risk of hyperactivity or impulsivity
symptoms at age five.

For
the study, published in the International Journal of Epidemiology,
the team recruited 2,644 mother-child pairs in a birth cohort study
during pregnancy.

Paracetamol
could be harmful to neurodevelopment for several reasons. First of
all, it relieves pain by acting on cannabinoid receptors in the
brain.

Since
these receptors normally help determine how neurons mature and
connect with one another, paracetamol could alter these important
processes, the researchers explained.

“It
can also affect the development of the immune system, or be directly
toxic to some foetuses that may not have the same capacity as an
adult to metabolise this drug, or by creating oxidative stress,”
noted Jordi Julvez, one of the researchers from CREAL.

IANS