Tylenol During Pregnancy Linked to Developmental Complications in Children

According to Reuters, pregnant women taking Tylenol should be aware that there are claims that the over-the-counter (OTC) drug may be linked to poorer language skills and behavior problems among children.

A study conducted by the School of Pharmacy at the University of Oslo in Norway suggested that the product might hinder a child’s developmental progress. “Our findings suggest that (acetaminophen) might not be as harmless as we think,” Ragnhild Eek Brandlistuen, of the University of Oslo told Reuters.

Researchers at the university studied 48,000 Norwegian children whose mothers answered survey questions about their medication use at weeks 17 and 30 of pregnancy, and again six months after giving birth. While checking in with the mothers three years later, some of the women said their children had “poorer motor skills than kids whose mothers had taken the drug fewer times or not at all.”

“Tylenol-exposed kids also tended to start walking later, have poorer communication and language skills and more behavior problems,” Reuters reported.

“Long-term use of (acetaminophen) increased the risk of behavior problems by 70 percent at age three,” Brandlistuen told Reuters. “That is considerable.” The researchers reportedly found no developmental issues in children tied to ibuprofen.

Aside links to issues with childhood development, these products have been linked to acute liver failure in the United States.

If you or a loved one has been injured by taking Tylenol or an acetaminophen-containing product, contact our experienced pharmaceutical drug and device attorneys by calling toll-free (888)841-9623 today.

Zoll, Kranz & Borgess, LLC – Defective Medical Drug and Device Lawyers

ZKB’s ‘Did You Know?’: Acetaminophen overdoses send approximately 55,000 to 80,000 people to emergency rooms each year in the U.S.

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/11/22/us-tylenol-pregnancy-idUSBRE9AL15L20131122