Acetaminophen and Autism & ADHD – What’s the Connection?
Acetaminophen, a common painkiller found in over 600 products, is widely used by people of all ages, including pregnant women. However, recent research suggests that using acetaminophen during pregnancy and early childhood may increase the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children.
One study found that children with higher levels of acetaminophen in their umbilical cord blood were almost three times more likely to develop ADHD and over 3.5 times more likely to develop ASD compared to those with lower levels.
Despite this, Johnson & Johnson, the manufacturer of name-brand acetaminophen Tylenol, and numerous retailers who sold their own brands of acetaminophen have not warned pregnant women about these potential risks. If your child has been diagnosed with ADHD or autism and was exposed to acetaminophen during fetal development, you might be eligible for compensation. Beasley Allen has a dedicated team of attorneys handling these cases.
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W. Roger Smith, III Principal Montgomery, AL -
Mary Cam Raybon Associate Montgomery, AL
The Mounting Evidence Linking Acetaminophen to Autism & ADHD
Acetaminophen became more popular in the 1980s after the CDC recommended it as a safer alternative to aspirin, which was linked to Reye’s syndrome, a rare but serious condition in children. In 2008, a study first suggested a possible link between acetaminophen use and the rise in autism diagnoses following the CDC’s recommendations. Additionally, incidents of tampered acetaminophen products in the 1980s coincided with a temporary plateau in autism cases in California.
Since then, numerous epidemiological and clinical studies have shown that using acetaminophen during pregnancy increases the risks of a child being born with neurodevelopmental disorders like ADHD and/or autism, including:
- A 2014 study by UCLA researchers, published in JAMA Pediatrics, examined over 64,000 children and mothers. They found that children born to mothers who used acetaminophen during pregnancy were 13% to 37% more likely to be diagnosed with hyperactive disorders or ADHD by age 7. The risk was higher for those whose mothers used acetaminophen for more than 20 weeks during pregnancy.
- A 2019 study by Johns Hopkins researchers analyzed umbilical cord blood samples. They found that children with the highest levels of acetaminophen were nearly three times more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD and over 3.5 times more likely to have autism compared to those with the lowest levels.
- A 2018 study looked at 132,738 mother-child pairs. It found that children born to mothers who used acetaminophen for extended periods during pregnancy had a 20% higher risk of autism and a 30% higher risk of ADHD.
- A 2021 study looking at over 73,000 mother-child pairs across Europe. It found that prenatal exposure to acetaminophen increased the likelihood of autism by 19% and ADHD symptoms by 21%. The link was slightly stronger in boys.
The “How”
Preclinical research has shown that acetaminophen exposure during fetal development can cause neurodevelopmental disruption by multiple mechanisms, including oxidative stress, DNA damage, and endocannabinoid system disruption. While it is generally known that acetaminophen exposure, even at recommended doses, can cause acute liver failure, laboratory experiments have shown that acetaminophen can cause neurodevelopmental damage in developing fetuses at even lower concentrations.
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