PSA: Tylenol during pregnancy linked to ADHD

[monarch64]

Maybe I'm not a saint or a good mother because I'm not an extreme worrier? Media just loves to stir up drama. I think if you let your mind go there and you enjoy being a worrier then this stuff can really affect you.

Uhm, this was a medical study.
The media just reported it.

Should the media not report it?

I'm astonished at the tone of many posts in this thread - so pissed off and resentful.
I expected more of, "I'm glad for any info that may help our kids be more healthy.
Sheesh!

What sucks is not the media, but the FDA.
Shouldn't this have been studied before Acetaminophen was released?

I'm surprised that you're surprised that women might be pissed off and resentful! Your first line was "add this to the list of no no's for pregnant women" which kind of implies that it is another annoyance in addition to the physical tolls of carrying a child. I guess I took that the wrong way. At any rate, my post wasn't directed at you or anyone else in general. I'm just weary of media spinning things to cause an uproar and sell papers/magazines/get page hits.
Take Tylenol, don't take it. Drink wine, don't drink it. Vaccinate, don't vaccinate.
I'm gonna go read the joke thread now. It's feeling real prudish up in here at the moment.

 

[kenny]

Perplexed here.

Monarch, my post is not directed at you personally either.

I don't blame anyone for being annoyed.
But if you want a healthy baby you do ABC and avoid XYZ.

They just added another letter.
That's a good thing, not bad.

I don't know maybe, once again, men just don't get it.

 

[msop04]

I'm surprised that you're surprised that women might be pissed off and resentful! Your first line was "add this to the list of no no's for pregnant women" which kind of implies that it is another annoyance in addition to the physical tolls of carrying a child. I guess I took that the wrong way. At any rate, my post wasn't directed at you or anyone else in general. I'm just weary of media spinning things to cause an uproar and sell papers/magazines/get page hits.
Take Tylenol, don't take it. Drink wine, don't drink it. Vaccinate, don't vaccinate.
I'm gonna go read the joke thread now. It's feeling real prudish up in here at the moment.

Yep.

 

[kenny]

Uhm, the media did not make this up.
What, you all feel entitled to just carry on as usual when you have a baby growing in you?
Clearly this is all another conspiracy of the misogynist media to bash women.

Go ahead and smoke, drink, shoot up drugs into your fetus.
Wouldn't want to bother you with any inconvenience while you're pregnant.

Sheesh, gals.
Perplexed here.

 

[VRBeauty]

Maybe I'm not a saint or a good mother because I'm not an extreme worrier? Media just loves to stir up drama. I think if you let your mind go there and you enjoy being a worrier then this stuff can really affect you.

Uhm, this was a medical study.
The media just reported it.

Should the media not report it?

I'm astonished at the tone of many posts in this thread - so pissed off and resentful.
I expected more of, "I'm glad for any info that may help our kids be more healthy.
Sheesh!

What sucks is not the media, but the FDA.
Shouldn't this have been studied before Acetaminophen was released?

Kenny - it's just one study, and the editor of JAMA himself says, in effect, don't make too much of it. The media (or somebody) is making sure the story gets out there, even though it's a poorly written story that doesn't provide crucial information, and... it's based on only one study. The JAMA editorial points out some concerns with the study that were not included in the wire story. I guess it's not sexy to include provisos such as... nearly one-third of the women originally in the study were dropped because they didn't complete every questionnaire. Hmm... as one who has ADHD, I'd say that sounds like a very ADHD thing to do. Maybe the results would have been different if these women's results had been included.

And that reaction you're seeing - try to put yourself in a mother's shoes for just a few minutes. Pregnant women are told not to eat/drink/do dozens of things because those things "will harm the baby." I think it's perfectly natural for someone to wonder they will now also be "held responsible," if only in their mind, for ADHD too - even though they followed all the "rules" that were known during their pregnancy.

As for the FDA, well, yeah - but not everything can be tested in advance. Tylenol was introduced in 1995, when drug testing was a very different matter than now. Even the Ames tests were twenty years off.

, you all feel entitled to just carry on as usual when you have a baby growing in you?
Clearly this is all another conspiracy of the misogynist media to bash women.

Go ahead and smoke, drink, shoot up drugs into your fetus.
Wouldn't want to bother you with any inconvenience while you're pregnant.

Kenny - I'm not a mother, but even I find this offensive. Don't go putting words in peoples mouths, please. I don't see anybody claiming misogynist conspiracy, just -maybe- exasperation. And concern.

 

[kenny]

Maybe I'm not a saint or a good mother because I'm not an extreme worrier? Media just loves to stir up drama. I think if you let your mind go there and you enjoy being a worrier then this stuff can really affect you.

Uhm, this was a medical study.
The media just reported it.

Should the media not report it?

I'm astonished at the tone of many posts in this thread - so pissed off and resentful.
I expected more of, "I'm glad for any info that may help our kids be more healthy.
Sheesh!

What sucks is not the media, but the FDA.
Shouldn't this have been studied before Acetaminophen was released?

Kenny - it's just one study, and the editor of JAMA himself says, in effect, don't make too much of it. The media (or somebody) is making sure the story gets out there, even though it's a poorly written story that doesn't provide crucial information, and... it's based on only one study. The JAMA editorial points out some concerns with the study that were not included in the wire story. I guess it's not sexy to include provisos such as... nearly one-third of the women originally in the study were dropped because they didn't complete every questionnaire. Hmm... as one who has ADHD, I'd say that sounds like a very ADHD thing to do. Maybe the results would have been different if these women's results had been included.

And that reaction you're seeing - try to put yourself in a mother's shoes for just a few minutes. Pregnant women are told not to eat/drink/do dozens of things because those things "will harm the baby." I think it's perfectly natural for someone to wonder they will now also be "held responsible," if only in their mind, for ADHD too - even though they followed all the "rules" that were known during their pregnancy.

As for the FDA, well, yeah - but not everything can be tested in advance. Tylenol was introduced in 1995, when drug testing was a very different matter than now. Even the Ames tests were twenty years off.

Yes, and the latter part of the LA Times article I linked to says to chill, and not worry too much.
Just minimize use.

… and my OP says, "Looks like you may want to add Acetaminophen to the list of pregnancy monos.

 

[movie zombie]

I am of the belief that there are still too many unknowns for anyone to say something is safe at any stage of pregnancy.
the more we find out scientifically, the more we find out that we do not know anything for certain when it comes to pregnancy.
western medicine has a nasty habit of saying something safe and then 20 years later saying it isn't......
each woman makes her own decisions.
I remember being in Ireland in 1999 and seeing a very pregnant woman smoking and drinking.......even then the effects of these substances were known....I was appalled.
and given that so many foods now have additives that can and may be harmful to children, I shudder to think what some of these things are doing to the unborn.

 

[kenny]

the more we find out scientifically, the more we find out that we do not know anything for certain when it comes to pregnancy.
western medicine has a nasty habit of saying something safe and then 20 years later saying it isn't......

I agree 100% and it's not just for pregnant women.

America is run by businesses, lobbyists and campaign contributions, not ethics or morals.

Question your government and consume stuff as close to the garden as possible.

I knew a woman who'd take only half of every Rx her doctor prescribed.
She said, "Half for my doctor, and not-half for me."
I like that.

 

[movie zombie]

no disagreement from me, Kenny.
however, there are some medication that taking only half makes things a bit dicey....antibiotics being one of those.
but that is another story for another day.

 

[TooPatient]

Perplexed here.

Monarch, my post is not directed at you personally either.

I don't blame anyone for being annoyed.
But if you want a healthy baby you do ABC and avoid XYZ.

They just added another letter.
That's a good thing, not bad.

I don't know maybe, once again, men just don't get it.

Kenny,

I saw the article earlier on my local news site. I'm glad you posted it because people should be aware of all of the information out there. We all need to take the time to stay informed -- including following up on who did the study, how they did it, how many people involved, etc, etc


As to adding another letter being a good thing and not a bad, I think that is very much the frustrating part for people. One study comes out saying A is bad for you and a few years later another says A is good for you. A couple of years later it is bad again.
B is this wonderful thing that will prevent X... ooops.... B will cause Y! Nope.... B will prevent X and Z! Ooops...

Repeat until frustrated!

This happens with vitamin supplements and food stuff too. I'm frustrated and that is just trying to sort out my own vitamin intake! I can't imagine the worry about trying to make those decisions when it isn't just for yourself but for your unborn child who is totally dependent on you and may have life long benefits (or consequences) based on your making heads and tails of all the studies.

So..
While the information is great to have, it can get overwhelming!

 

[TooPatient]

Too late to edit!

Kenny -- I didn't mean my post to sound like you shouldn't have posted or that you've upset anyone. In fact, I hope it came across as I'm GLAD you posted as I feel strongly about staying informed so that I can make the best decisions I can for myself and others can do the same for themselves. I just wanted to pass on why I had feelings of frustration and irritation at the study when I saw it earlier in the day. (It doesn't help that earlier this week I saw one study saying fish oil (the thing you should be taking to avoid all sorts of issues) may actually contribute to prostate cancer (or was it Alzheimer's?) and another study saying vitamin E (another so many drs have been saying to take) may cause some other serious issue...)

Sorry if I'm rambling. I just wanted to clarify my earlier post in case it was unclear.

DH says I should quit posting until I am a little healthier. He may have a point as a giant mushroom walked past the living room window during dinner...
(Oh.... GET YOUR FLU SHOTS!)

 

[justginger]

no disagreement from me, Kenny.
however, there are some medication that taking only half makes things a bit dicey....antibiotics being one of those.
but that is another story for another day.

Yes.

'A bit dicey' doesn't properly describe the consequences though. Half-ass your antibiotics and you could potentially be the causation of resistance to a last line antibiotic, resulting in (many) deaths.

 

[Roxy]

This is good info to be aware of.

Every Dr that I saw report on this study today recommended that each patient needs to talk w/ their OB/GYNs to determine how to proceed w/ Tylenol on a case by case basis. They reported that, even w/ this study, there were circumstances that might warrant a mother taking Tylenol (e.g., fever related issues), so they didn't want pregnant women to just rule it out completely without getting guidance from their physician.

 

[momhappy]

Maybe I'm not a saint or a good mother because I'm not an extreme worrier? Media just loves to stir up drama. I think if you let your mind go there and you enjoy being a worrier then this stuff can really affect you.

I don't think that anyone "enjoys" being a worrier. As a parent, I think that it's perfectly normal to feel a certain amount off worry. After all, we're making/raising human beings. I don't necessarily think that being a good parent is equivalent to your level of worry/anxiety, but we probably all worry about one thing or another when it comes to having/raising our children.

 

[momhappy]

Maybe I'm not a saint or a good mother because I'm not an extreme worrier? Media just loves to stir up drama. I think if you let your mind go there and you enjoy being a worrier then this stuff can really affect you.

Uhm, this was a medical study.
The media just reported it.

Should the media not report it?

I'm astonished at the tone of many posts in this thread - so pissed off and resentful.
I expected more of, "I'm glad for any info that may help our kids be more healthy.
Sheesh!

What sucks is not the media, but the FDA.
Shouldn't this have been studied before Acetaminophen was released?

Kenny - it's just one study, and the editor of JAMA himself says, in effect, don't make too much of it. The media (or somebody) is making sure the story gets out there, even though it's a poorly written story that doesn't provide crucial information, and... it's based on only one study. The JAMA editorial points out some concerns with the study that were not included in the wire story. I guess it's not sexy to include provisos such as... nearly one-third of the women originally in the study were dropped because they didn't complete every questionnaire. Hmm... as one who has ADHD, I'd say that sounds like a very ADHD thing to do. Maybe the results would have been different if these women's results had been included.

And that reaction you're seeing - try to put yourself in a mother's shoes for just a few minutes. Pregnant women are told not to eat/drink/do dozens of things because those things "will harm the baby." I think it's perfectly natural for someone to wonder they will now also be "held responsible," if only in their mind, for ADHD too - even though they followed all the "rules" that were known during their pregnancy.

As for the FDA, well, yeah - but not everything can be tested in advance. Tylenol was introduced in 1995, when drug testing was a very different matter than now. Even the Ames tests were twenty years off.

, you all feel entitled to just carry on as usual when you have a baby growing in you?
Clearly this is all another conspiracy of the misogynist media to bash women.

Go ahead and smoke, drink, shoot up drugs into your fetus.
Wouldn't want to bother you with any inconvenience while you're pregnant.

Kenny - I'm not a mother, but even I find this offensive. Don't go putting words in peoples mouths, please. I don't see anybody claiming misogynist conspiracy, just -maybe- exasperation. And concern.

I agree. Well-said VRBeauty. It's not that we don't take this sort of thing seriously - we absolutely do. As mothers, we strive to protect our children, even in utero. It's a heavy burden no matter how you slice it and I would like to think that we all do our best.

 

[packrat]

I find it hard to believe that Tylenol would be the root of the problem, over all the additives and preservatives in our food nowadays and over the fact that we eat and drink like crap. I'd vote for the pop I've seen in baby bottles and the teeny toddlers being fed McDonalds and Doritos constantly over a pregnant mom needing a headache to go away.

Packrat, I can appreciate your opinion here. But as a mother to a son with ADHD, I can assure you that I did not give him soda in his bottle or feed him Mcdonalds every day. I'm sure those things could result in behavioral problems, but true ADHD is beyond that. My son's ADHD was so bad that they thought he was autistic because he could not even pay attention enough to listen to and hold a conversation with someone. He has ADHD inattentive type, not hyperactive and absolutely no behavioral problems. He is a sweet boy who got behind academically because he just could not tune into his teachers presenting and myself working with him at home. He is now on medication (for about 3 months now) and has been excelling at school. For so long, I didn't know what the future held for him. And I am so proud of him and his progress!

Edited to add that ADHD does run in my family. Myself and my husband do not have it, but I have a couple of first cousins who do and still take medication as adults.

I didn't mean that every child w/ADHD got pop and McDonalds from infancy. Not by a long shot. I was speaking in generalities about the crap that is in basically *everything* we eat and drink anymore. Additives and preservatives are pretty much in everything, and we don't all eat home grown, grass fed, perfect food, and I would blame the additives and preservatives that our systems are bombarded w/on a constant basis, over taking Tylenol during a pregnancy.

 

[msop04]

the more we find out scientifically, the more we find out that we do not know anything for certain when it comes to pregnancy.
western medicine has a nasty habit of saying something safe and then 20 years later saying it isn't......

I agree 100% and it's not just for pregnant women.

America is run by businesses, lobbyists and campaign contributions, not ethics or morals.

Question your government and consume stuff as close to the garden as possible.

I knew a woman who'd take only half of every Rx her doctor prescribed.She said, "Half for my doctor, and not-half for me."
I like that.

Although I agree with the first post regarding the media and government's agenda... unless a prescription is written for pain or something similar, says "as needed for --- ", or indicates on the label that the pt may take more or less, anyone who doses themselves is being foolish. There is a reason doctors and pharmacists give a specific dosage and specific duration of therapy -- esp. for antibiotics, cardiac issues, cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes, etc... it's because any more or less may be not be effective or even harmful to the patient. ...and people wonder why certain antibiotics don't work anymore and dosages have to be increased and therapies lengthened... this is why.

I know the public has access to a lot of information in this day and time, but unless you are a physician, pharmacist, or chemist/medical researcher and can understand what all the therapeutic and chemical information really means, you do not know better than they do. I'm not being rude, I'm being truthful, so please don't misunderstand. One of the leading causes of adverse effects or inefficacy is noncompliance when taking meds -- i.e. deviation from what is prescribed. Also, those who self-medicate are usually the ones who want to complain or sue when they don't get well or have adverse effects... shocker.

 

[msop04]

no disagreement from me, Kenny.
however, there are some medication that taking only half makes things a bit dicey....antibiotics being one of those.
but that is another story for another day.

Yes.

'A bit dicey' doesn't properly describe the consequences though. Half-ass your antibiotics and you could potentially be the causation of resistance to a last line antibiotic, resulting in (many) deaths.

Yep.

 

[msop04]

This is good info to be aware of.

Every Dr that I saw report on this study today recommended that each patient needs to talk w/ their OB/GYNs to determine how to proceed w/ Tylenol on a case by case basis. They reported that, even w/ this study, there were circumstances that might warrant a mother taking Tylenol (e.g., fever related issues), so they didn't want pregnant women to just rule it out completely without getting guidance from their physician.

This is 100% true, Roxy. Every pregnancy is different, every patient is different... which is why pts do not need to skip seeing the doc or try to totally take their healthcare into own hands.

 

[monarch64]

Uhm, the media did not make this up.
What, you all feel entitled to just carry on as usual when you have a baby growing in you?
Clearly this is all another conspiracy of the misogynist media to bash women.

Go ahead and smoke, drink, shoot up drugs into your fetus.
Wouldn't want to bother you with any inconvenience while you're pregnant.

Sheesh, gals.
Perplexed here.

Aw, man! I think you're mistaking my "take it with a grain of salt" attitude for apathy. I can assure you this is not the case. I was merely making the point (my personal opinion only) that I'm not going to let one study get me all worked up or freaked out that I took Tylenol a few times during my pregnancy and therefore I may have caused my child to have ADHD.

About, let's see, 28 months ago while I was pregnant, I read some articles about BPA and its potential effects on a fetus. At the time, "they" were saying too much exposure to BPA could cause hyperactivity in children, especially females. I had recently found out we were having a girl. I worked in retail where I handled BPA-coated receipts all day, 40 hours a week. When I approached my boss about switching to non-coated receipt tape I was laughed at. How silly of me to be concerned over something so seemingly trivial because I was pregnant.

What else...caffeine! I had cut out caffeine over 2 years before I got pregnant. However, some mornings I would be so tired upon getting to work from lack of good sleep (you know it's sometimes difficult to get good rest when you can only sleep on your left side--must be careful even when sleeping to make sure baby is getting enough of your blood supply) that I would walk up to the corner coffee shop and get a half-caf, or decaf, just enough of a waker-upper to help me be productive at work and not a total zombie. At least 3 times I had someone at the self-service coffee station (every single time it was a dude) say to me "hope that's decaf!" I never bothered to set anyone straight or get into what would've been a long conversation about the fact that I was doing my best to take care of myself and my fetus properly and that I was indeed exercising common sense and moderation. What I really wanted to do was tell dude to get the eff out of my uterus and my business.

Should we talk about how total strangers think it's alright to touch your visibly pregnant belly? Neither awkward nor annoying. Just an inconvenience!

I'm being facetious, and yes, I'm a little annoyed and frustrated. I was very fortunate to have a very healthy and mostly comfortable pregnancy, and used my own judgment and common sense to avoid things I thought could be harmful to my baby. I had to make a lot of decisions and read a lot of information and yes, I had some worry. But where is the line between avoiding absolutely everything under the sun and hoping/praying that your child will come out perfectly healthy, and living a normal life while pregnant? My child was born healthy, and she continues to thrive at 21 months with no issues. But what about the moms who did everything right, who worried, who have children who are living with any number of health issues? Should they feel guilt over taking a couple Tylenol for a severe headache or fever when they were pregnant based on this study?

I understand the need for education and PSA's and medical studies, etc. But isn't part of the purpose in posting things like this to promote discussion? My point was that hey, you can control how much worry/anxiety you have during a pregnancy. You can decide how much you let a study like this affect your actions during the pregnancy and your guilt level after delivery. You can control your reaction. I mean, I just don't think that's an unfair attitude to have.

Is the FDA partially at fault for approving drugs for use when they probably shouldn't have been? Of course. I can't really speak from an informed point of view on that topic, so I'll leave that to others, though.

We can't talk about politics and reproductive rights, so I'll leave that one alone.

We could talk about all the ways society (and yes, media exacerbates the issues) pits women against each other and promotes competition in regards to how pregnancies are handled, how women choose to parent, general expectations placed on women after delivery (get back to work! don't work! lose the pregnancy weight fast!) and on and on. So yeah, when I see yet another article on the dangers of this or that and pregnancy, I roll my eyes. I guess I just don't see how that's an unnecessary reaction. Yup, one more thing to tack onto the neverending list.

Gonna go lock up my soapbox now so my toddler can't climb it and jump off resulting in a trip to the ER. LOL!

 

[kenny]

Sorry Monarch.
I can see how the growing list of pregnancy nonos is frustrating.

It's bad enough we are all victims of harm from industry.
It must be infuriating to have your own baby harmed by something that was considered safe back when you were pregnant.
I'd be livid.

 

[nkarma]

Maybe I'm not a saint or a good mother because I'm not an extreme worrier? Media just loves to stir up drama. I think if you let your mind go there and you enjoy being a worrier then this stuff can really affect you.

Uhm, this was a medical study.
The media just reported it.

Should the media not report it?

I'm astonished at the tone of many posts in this thread - so pissed off and resentful.
I expected more of, "I'm glad for any info that may help our kids be more healthy.
Sheesh!

What sucks is not the media, but the FDA.
Shouldn't this have been studied before Acetaminophen was released?

Hi Kenny welcome back.

I think where you are getting the issue of people being resentful, is that a lot of women get information from hundreds of sources throughout their pregnancy about how to care for themselves and the baby. Same thing with being a mother as well and how to parent their child.

Also articles like this make women feel at fault for their children's diseases/disabilities. If they only didn't have that one tylenol that their doctor recommended then their child wouldn't have lifetime struggle. That's A LOT of weight to carry on your shoulders. This something you probably were not as aware of as a childless man.

And yes as we all know, the American media does hype and purposely write facts with language meant to scare people. That's how they make money, control people, and corporations sell their ware.

 

[nkarma]

Sorry Monarch.
I can see how the growing list of pregnancy nonos is frustrating.

It's bad enough we are all victims of harm from industry.
It must be infuriating to have your own baby harmed by something that was considered safe back when you were pregnant.
I'd be livid.

And shoulder that burden because it's something you did or consumed.

 

[monarch64]

Sorry Monarch.
I can see how the growing list of pregnancy nonos is frustrating.

It's bad enough we are all victims of harm from industry.
It must be infuriating to have your own baby harmed by something that was considered safe back when you were pregnant.
I'd be livid.

Hey, no problem! No need to apologize; I see where you're coming from and I agree it's something to think about, and I think it's a great discussion to have.

It will be interesting to see more studies and what comes from this. And yes, if my child did have ADHD (heck it may still turn out that she does, I don't know at what age a diagnosis would happen) I would be upset to think that I was told NOT to take ibuprofen for pain but acetaminophen instead and that possibly caused the issue.

It's not only the list of "steer clear of's," it's the combination of so many issues that tie into reproductive health and rights that is frustrating. And on a grander scale, as you mention, the issues we face due to industry. Yes, we all need to be more aware of our environment and all the potential harmful substances out there that are in our resources for survival--water, food, housing, clothing, energy.

How do we pick our battles so we can have the greatest effect? I can start at home. I started growing our own produce when I was pregnant because I have had a concern for a long time that our food chain is totally polluted. I can vote locally with my ballot and my dollars and try to be as involved in my community as possible. I can volunteer my time to teach others how to grow their own food and how to practice non-pesticidal and non-herbicidal gardening (am doing so as of Jan. 2014!) And now, if I become pregnant again, I can grill my doctor about this Tylenol thing. I don't know if I can allow this article to get me too fired up or make me feel any guilt over past (what were informed at the time) decisions, but it's certainly on my radar now.

 

[pregcurious]

I think the realm of pregancy and being a mother is so difficult, and fraught with guilt.

Moms, forgive yourselves if this is true. If you know you tried your best, you tried your best. End of story. If you feel guilt, that shows you are a loving and caring mother.

As for medical recommendations, they are only based on the current knowledge. Your doctor is not an all-knowing being. They are trying their best also. I am not medical doctor, but I think the burden they carry is also high.

 

[msop04]

As for medical recommendations, they are only based on the current knowledge. Your doctor is not an all-knowing being. They are trying their best also. I am not medical doctor, but I think the burden they carry is also high.

Well stated, pregcurious.

 

[JulieN]

Many pregnant women are PARANOID about all the things they cannot do, and to add Tylenol to the list on weak evidence makes me

Honest to god, I knew a pregnant lady who would not go out to a bar with us (colleagues/friends) because she was worried about evaporating alcohol from open bottles.

 

[packrat]

I got chewed out in Subway when I was pregnant w/London, for ordering a cold cut combo. B/c you're not supposed to eat bologna etc when pregnant. B/c the guys wife had just had a baby, and her Dr. had told her that. My Dr. never told me that. I'd never heard it before. I asked the Dr. next time about it, and she rolled her eyes. Are you eating an entire container of bologna daily? No, then don't worry about it. I'm pretty sure the Tylenol thing is the same. I think you'd be hard pressed to find every Dr. in agreement on what to do/not to do when pregnant. They can't even agree on what gum is the best and which toothpaste is the best..there's always that 5th hold out. You don't probably want to take Tylenol every single day for 9 months, yes. But an occasional headache/backache? Good lord, we don't need to all spend our entire pregnancies wearing hair shirts.

 

[Dreamer_D]

This is a correlational study NOT a randomized experiment as far as I can see.

That really matters because we cannot rule out third variable or alternative explanations for the effects.

The biggest potential alternative explanation is that women who take tylenol more often when they are pregnant differ in some important way from women who do not take a lot of tylenol. Taking tylenol or not a random behavior. Women who take more tylenol when pregnant may suffer more stress, they may be more neurotic, they may be more likely to seek medical aid for problems they encounter... and ANY of those are other factors differetiating women who take lots of tylenol from women who take little tylenol could be responsible for the observed correlation.

And that, my friends, is why you should not freak out with worry over this finding yet. Wait for scientists to finish the research before making life-style decisions or blaming yourself for your child's ADHD. As with any parenting choice, or health and lifestyle choice, the individual needs to assess all the relevant factors and make the right decision for themselves in consultation with the health practicioners who best know your unique situation.

 

[Rhapsody]

As a biomedical scientist there are 2 things I know for sure

1) correlation does not mean causation

2) the media often gets it spectacularly wrong when they report on these things. Their primary job is to sell ad space.

These types of studies are very difficult to interpret. The authors were looking for a specific piece of data, the study was not randomized or blinded since it's retrospective. I don't see a single published piece of data indicating acetaminophen is predicted to have an effect on ADHD or any other behavioral trait. So one single study that isn't properly controlled means more research is warranted, not that you should never take Tylenol.

If every drug were tested to look for every possible negative effect over any length of time no drug would ever make it to market. Drug testing has flaws, each humans body works slightly differently and then we add on the confounding variables of the environment people live in and how that effects things... It's impossible to make sure any drug is "absolutely" safe.

We still know so little about how these meat-bags we live in really work. Life is complicated, figuratively and literally. All we can do is try to take care of ourselves and accept that we will probably never know exactly what that entails.