Paracetamol is one of the medications considered allowed during pregnancy. It is the drug that is usually prescribed as an analgesic to pregnant women, supposedly whenever strictly necessary.
According to the Vademecum, in recommended doses, paracetamol has no harmful effects, so it is not contraindicated during pregnancy. Although there has been some isolated publication that has associated the use of paracetamol during pregnancy with a lower weight and height of the fetus at birth, a subsequent study has not confirmed that it produced fetal toxicity.
But a very revealing research published by the International Journal of Epidemiology has emerged that indicates that Paracetamol in pregnancy is not so harmless .
The study, conducted by the Center for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL) and the Municipal Institute of Medical Research with the collaboration of the University of Aarhus (Denmark), has revealed the relationship between the use of this drug in pregnancy, especially during the first trimester, and the risk of children suffering from respiratory problems or developing asthma during the first seven years of life.
Specifically confirms that the intake of this medicine with analgesic properties increases 20% risk of asthma during the first 18 months and up to 50% if the study is extended to seven years.
The news seems alarming since 50% of pregnant women take paracetamol, even some do it without medical indication without knowing that "it crosses the placenta and the fetus has no ability to metabolize it," as Manolis Kogevinas, one of the authors of the study.
The research could confirm the hypothesis that asthma develops in the prenatal stage, and undoubtedly the indiscriminate use of the drug could be one of the answers to why this respiratory disease has become the most frequent among children.
In a less blunt way (maybe it's just a matter of time) the use of antibiotics and antacids in pregnancy has also been linked to the development of childhood asthma.
Seeing the panorama, when in doubt, it is preferable to avoid drugs completely during pregnancy, especially during the first trimester, or opt for natural recipes that have no adverse effects during pregnancy, always after consulting with the gynecologist.
