Pregnancy and Painkillers
Published at the beginning of January this year in the journal Pediatric Research by researchers from the University of Illinois in the United States, the study clarified that the perceived safety of paracetamol has led to its widespread use because it is the only over-the counter option available during the early months of pregnancy, despite being less effective than other painkillers such as ibuprofen. Approximately half of all pregnant women in Europe and the United States have taken it during their pregnancies, a percentage mirrored in Arab countries as well.
Previous studies have made connections between the intake of paracetamol and language delays, but these were not as precise as the current study. Past research primarily focused on the first three months of pregnancy a crucial period for fetal development during which medication should be completely avoided unless absolutely necessary. As a result, those studies could not be considered an accurate measure of the drug's effects that could be taken throughout the entire nine months.
However, the new study asked questions of participating women several times every four to six weeks during their pregnancies and again on the first day following the birth of their child. This represents a comprehensive survey of the entire pregnancy from start to finish.
The researchers tracked nearly 300 children from pregnancy until the age of two and assessed most of the children again at the age of three to evaluate their language skills. Observations included language development and speech perception.
Scientists explained that the assessment of language communication was specifically conducted in the second year as it is a critical period for speech development in a child's life, where a significant number of words are acquired daily and simple sentence formation is possible. This stage is known as the "word explosion," and the team used a 680-word lexical test to determine the child's progress in speaking and understanding various word meanings.
Language Delays in Children
The study found a close link between the use of paracetamol in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy and a clear regression in language development. It stated that while this regression is modest, it is important and significant, especially during the last three months of pregnancy, where it correlated with a vocabulary lower than average at two years of age. Additionally, the mean length of utterance was shorter than that of peers. This measure indicates the average length of sentences used by a child at the beginning of learning to speak, and it increases over time as a way to gauge language skill development in children.
The researchers clarified that drug intake in the last trimester was the worst in terms of impact on the child's language ability. As per the findings, these children had approximately two fewer vocabulary words at the age of two, particularly in males. This outcome opposes the common belief that most medication warnings apply to the first trimester, the initial period of fetal formation. However, by the third trimester, fetal growth is almost complete, which contributes to overuse of the drug without a sense of danger.
Taking the drug in the last trimester of pregnancy may affect children
For instance, if a woman were to take paracetamol just once a week during the last three months of pregnancy, there is a possibility that her child's language inventory could be 26 words fewer than others at age two.
It is known that brain development in the fetus occurs throughout pregnancy, but this growth accelerates significantly in the last two trimesters. Hearing develops in the second trimester, and language development actually begins during the last three months, even before birth. Since the drug works similarly to simple endocannabinoids for pain relief and fever reduction, it might specifically affect language skills.
The study clarified that these findings do not imply that taking paracetamol poses a risk to fetal health, nor will it necessarily lead to a decline in children's linguistic abilities before school age. However, researchers only cautioned against frequent and sometimes unjustified use. The study confirmed that the drug remains the best and safest choice during pregnancy (provided there is an urgent need for its intake), yet treatment should not start with painkillers for minor symptoms. Instead, natural remedies should be used for colds, such as warm fluids and vitamin C-rich drinks, and medication should be taken at the lowest possible dosage, stopping immediately upon improvement.
However, the new study asked questions of participating women several times every four to six weeks during their pregnancies and again on the first day following the birth of their child. This represents a comprehensive survey of the entire pregnancy from start to finish.
The researchers tracked nearly 300 children from pregnancy until the age of two and assessed most of the children again at the age of three to evaluate their language skills. Observations included language development and speech perception.
Scientists explained that the assessment of language communication was specifically conducted in the second year as it is a critical period for speech development in a child's life, where a significant number of words are acquired daily and simple sentence formation is possible. This stage is known as the "word explosion," and the team used a 680-word lexical test to determine the child's progress in speaking and understanding various word meanings.
Language Delays in Children
The study found a close link between the use of paracetamol in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy and a clear regression in language development. It stated that while this regression is modest, it is important and significant, especially during the last three months of pregnancy, where it correlated with a vocabulary lower than average at two years of age. Additionally, the mean length of utterance was shorter than that of peers. This measure indicates the average length of sentences used by a child at the beginning of learning to speak, and it increases over time as a way to gauge language skill development in children.
The researchers clarified that drug intake in the last trimester was the worst in terms of impact on the child's language ability. As per the findings, these children had approximately two fewer vocabulary words at the age of two, particularly in males. This outcome opposes the common belief that most medication warnings apply to the first trimester, the initial period of fetal formation. However, by the third trimester, fetal growth is almost complete, which contributes to overuse of the drug without a sense of danger.
Taking the drug in the last trimester of pregnancy may affect children
For instance, if a woman were to take paracetamol just once a week during the last three months of pregnancy, there is a possibility that her child's language inventory could be 26 words fewer than others at age two.
It is known that brain development in the fetus occurs throughout pregnancy, but this growth accelerates significantly in the last two trimesters. Hearing develops in the second trimester, and language development actually begins during the last three months, even before birth. Since the drug works similarly to simple endocannabinoids for pain relief and fever reduction, it might specifically affect language skills.
The study clarified that these findings do not imply that taking paracetamol poses a risk to fetal health, nor will it necessarily lead to a decline in children's linguistic abilities before school age. However, researchers only cautioned against frequent and sometimes unjustified use. The study confirmed that the drug remains the best and safest choice during pregnancy (provided there is an urgent need for its intake), yet treatment should not start with painkillers for minor symptoms. Instead, natural remedies should be used for colds, such as warm fluids and vitamin C-rich drinks, and medication should be taken at the lowest possible dosage, stopping immediately upon improvement.
