Medication safety in pregnancy: With focus on analgesics and neurodevelopmental outcomes in children

Abstract

Eight out of ten women report having used medicines in pregnancy. Though painkillers are amongst the most frequently used medicines, little is known about their long-term effects on the unborn child. This thesis explored the safety profile of medicines used in pregnancy, with a focus on the long-term effects on children born to mothers who used painkillers in pregnancy. One aim was to investigate if five-year-old children whose mothers had used paracetamol in pregnancy were more likely to have developmental delay. Another aim was to investigate if children born to mothers who used opioids in pregnancy were at increased risk for behavioural changes or poor school performance. We found that the short-term use of paracetamol in pregnancy did not increase the risk of either language, behaviour, or emotional problems in children. With respect to opioids, their short-term use in pregnancy did not seem to result in an increased risk for children being diagnosed with ADHD or performing poorly in standardized 5th grade tests. The overall findings from this research were reassuring. These results are important for healthcare professionals who counsel women about the possible long-term effects of these painkillers in pregnancy and for pregnant women who have to use painkillers.