Pregnant women with a headache or muscle pain might think twice before reaching for Tylenol after researchers said they found a strong association between taking acetaminophen during pregnancy and delayed language development in children.
According to a study in Pediatric Research, led by University of Illinois scientists, the delays were especially pronounced among males.
The study also showed that the more acetaminophen the pregnant women took, the greater the risk, especially during the second and third trimesters.
Other studies have linked the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy with negative outcomes, including autism, for children, the drug is still made widely available to pregnant women for routine pain relief.
Deficits at two time points
Between December 2013 and March 2020, 688 pregnant women completed surveys on their acetaminophen use during pregnancy.
Eligible women included those who were in their first prenatal visit, pregnant for less than 15 weeks, fluent in English, between 18-40 years old, not carrying more than one fetus, willing to provide blood and urine samples throughout their pregnancies, lived close to the campus and were not classified as high-risk pregnancies…
Children's Health Defense 
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