Is Paracetamol safe during pregnancy?

You may have recently seen headlines about taking paracetamol during pregnancy. A review from Harvard University looked at past research and found mixed results, which has stirred up the debate. However, that same review pointed to one very large, high-quality study that gives us the clearest answer yet.

This huge study from 2024 looked at almost 2.5 million children in Sweden. What made it special was how it compared brothers and sisters from the same family. By comparing siblings where one was exposed to paracetamol in utero and the other was not, researchers could effectively control for the genetic and environmental confounders that plagued previous studies.

The result was very reassuring: taking paracetamol during pregnancy did not increase the risk of a child developing autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability. This suggests that the links found in older, less reliable studies were likely due to other factors, not the paracetamol itself.

It’s important to remember that something as complex as autism isn’t caused by one single thing. It has a strong genetic basis, meaning it often runs in families. A child’s risk is mostly linked to traits passed down from their parents and their shared family environment. Blaming a common medication oversimplifies the picture and can cause unnecessary guilt for mothers.

Not treating a high fever or severe pain can also pose known risks to a developing baby. Australia’s top medical experts, including the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and the Chief Medical Officer, want to reassure you that paracetamol is considered safe to use during pregnancy, and remains as Category A. My key message remains the same: paracetamol is the safest choice if you need it. As with most medicines during pregnancy, you should try to:

• Use the lowest dose that helps.
• Take it for the shortest time possible.
• Talk to your GP or pharmacist if you have any questions.