This drug is commonly used during pregnancy, but is not without risk. Prenatal exposure is associated with an increased risk of asthma in children.
Paracetamol is the most common painkiller used by pregnant women. It is recommended as the first line in pain, fevers and flu-like conditions in this population. But prescribing and consumption should be carried out with more caution, according to a study published in theInternational Journal of Epidemiology. Taking this molecule is associated with an increased risk of asthma in exposed children in utero.
13% increased risk
This work was carried out on a large cohort of 114,500 children and their mothers. In the latter, the consumption of paracetamol was carefully studied during pregnancy, as well as the reason why the drug was taken. “Some studies have worked on this subject but have not provided a solid conclusion on the risk of asthma.
The main reason is that it is the most common analgesic and that it is compatible with pregnancy ”, analyzes Sinem Ezgi Gulmez, pharmacologist at the University of Bordeaux (Gironde) contacted by Why actor.
By the age of 3, 5.7% of children suffered from asthma. At the age of 7, they were 5.1%. But it is only in the first case that the association with prenatal exposure to paracetamol is strong. The risk is increased by 13% in these participants. The link is all the more strengthened if the mother took the molecule for several reasons during gestation. On the other hand, it is not what causes the drug taking which is at the origin of this association, underline the researchers.
With caution
These results should encourage caution because paracetamol is not contraindicated in pregnancy. The Reference Center on Teratogenic Agents (CRAT) concludes that “the published data are very numerous and reassuring”. But the literature on the risks of this molecule, especially on the liver, is increasingly prolific. Some animal studies are starting to cast doubt on the safety of this drug during pregnancy. “We must think before taking it, slice Sinem Ezgi Gulmez. It cannot be taken too easily. “
Sinem Ezgi Gulmez, pharmacologist at the University of Bordeaux: “ Paracetamol should not be recommended too easily. This message can also concern health authorities. “
In fact, there are many structures that designate paracetamol as the reference molecule in the management of pain in pregnancy, starting with the CRAT and the Observatory of Medicines, Medical Devices and Therapeutic Innovations of the Region. Center (OMEDIT).
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