Pregnant woman who take paracetamol 'are more likely to have children with autism'

Women who take paracetamol while pregnant are more likely to give birth to children who have autism or ADHD, according to a major international study. Health data on more than 70,000 children in six European countries including the UK was analysed by a team from the University of Barcelona. Fifty-six per cent of the mothers who had children on the autism spectrum or with ADHD took paracetamol while pregnant, the researchers discovered. Paracetamol is the most common drug taken by pregnant women for pain relief, with about 65 per cent saying they used it during their pregnancy. This study didn't explore the exact cause, but previous studies have shown the drug can enter the body of the baby and release toxins that have been linked to poorer cognitive performance and behaviour problems in children.