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. 2009 Dec;114(6):1295-1306.
doi: 10.1097/AOG.0b013e3181c225c0.

Prenatal exposure to acetaminophen and asthma in children

Elizabeth M Kang  1 , Lisbet S Lundsberg, Jessica L Illuzzi, Michael B Bracken
Affiliations

Prenatal exposure to acetaminophen and asthma in children

Elizabeth M Kang et al. Obstet Gynecol. 2009 Dec.

Abstract

Objective: To estimate whether prenatal exposure to acetaminophen is associated with risk of diagnosed asthma and asthma symptoms in children.

Methods: The authors prospectively followed 1,505 pregnant women and their children until 6 years (+/-3 months) of life. Acetaminophen use in the first and third trimesters of pregnancy was assessed before 24 weeks of gestation and within 1 month of delivery, and asthma in children was assessed when the child was 6 years old. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) were derived from logistic regression models controlling for potential confounders.

Results: Acetaminophen was used by 69% of women during pregnancy. Use of acetaminophen did not significantly increase the risk of asthma (aOR 0.76, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.53-1.10). Acetaminophen use during both the first and the third trimester was associated with a significantly reduced risk of asthma (aOR 0.59, 95% CI 0.36-0.98). There was no evidence of a dose response, and consumption greater than 10,400 mg (32 tablets) a month did not increase risk (aOR 0.99, 95% CI 0.19-5.30).

Conclusion: Our results suggest that acetaminophen use during pregnancy does not increase risk of asthma in children.

Level of evidence: II.

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Conflict of interest statement

Financial Disclosure

The authors did not report any potential conflicts of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flowchart of patients showing inclusion and exclusions applied to the total cohort population for the acetaminophen and asthma analysis. Kang. Prenatal Exposure to Acetaminophen and Asthma. Obstet Gynecol 2009
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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