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Can You Take Tylenol While Pregnant? Is It Safe to Use Acetaminophen?
Pregnant women are always considered a high-risk group for anything they take. For example, eating raw fish, high mercury fish, caffeine, unpasteurized dairy, and alcohol are prohibited during pregnancy. These foods may be harmful to both the mother and the developing fetus in various ways.
In the case of consuming raw fish, pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to listeria infections. As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention[1] (CDC), expecting women are up to ten times more prone than the vast majority of the population to become contaminated with Listeria. Hispanic pregnant women are 24 times more vulnerable.
A pregnant lady has to watch the foods she eats, drinks, and especially the medications she takes, be it painkillers, immunity boosters, etc.
So today, we answer the question: Can you take Tylenol when pregnant?
What is Acetaminophen?
Acetaminophen, typically called paracetamol, is a mild pain reliever and fever reducer used in over-the-counter pain and cold treatments like Tylenol.
It is generally regarded as harmless and is usually used throughout pregnancy. It comes in capsules, liquid, pills, and suppository forms.
Can Pregnant Women Take Tylenol?
Tylenol is a pain reliever with the active ingredient acetaminophen, and it is one of the most commonly known pain relievers.
Its popularity is widespread such that most pregnant women use acetaminophen at some point during their pregnancy, most commonly to relieve headaches and fever. 65% of pregnant women[2] in the United States have probably used acetaminophen during pregnancy.
A consensus statement advocating precaution on the use of acetaminophen while pregnant was posted in Nature Reviews Endocrinology[3] in September 2021.
The statement, written by an international panel of obstetricians, neurologists, pediatricians, and researchers with knowledge of fetal growth, endocrinology, and toxicology, mainly advises pregnant patients on acetaminophen to use the following guidelines:
- If they are unsure about using acetaminophen, they should consult with their healthcare provider.
- Acetaminophen or Tylenol pregnancy use should be avoided unless prescribed by a doctor.
- They should use the lowest dose for the shortest amount of time.
Risks of Taking Tylenol in Pregnancy?
The main risk of taking Tylenol acetaminophen is that the substance can alter fetal development. This means that pregnant people are at an increased risk of complications during pregnancy and the development of congenital disabilities.
The other possible risks also include
The Potential Risk of Children Developing ADHD and ASD
According to a new Israeli study[4], long-term acetaminophen use may be associated with elevated attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
The study was carried out at The University of Jerusalem and included over 100,000 women during a three to eleven-year period.
According to the researchers, taking acetaminophen for 28 days or more throughout pregnancy is related to a 20% rise in relative risk for ASD and a 30% rise in relative risk for ADHD compared to women who did not use acetaminophen throughout pregnancy.
Note: Relative risk is when the likelihood of anything occurring is contrasted between two groups, and it is commonly defined as a percentage. Nevertheless, it does not indicate the actual chances of something happening.
Many researchers and women’s health professionals have indicated that these claims need more studies. For instance, according to Dr. Edward Hallowell, an adult and child psychiatrist, the founding doctor of the Hallowell Center for Cognitive and Emotional Health[5], and a leading expert on ADHD, the significant preponderance of ADHD is passed down through genetics.
And he goes on to argue that additional aspects, such as whether the mother is exposed to smoking cigarettes or consumes alcohol, should be included in this claim.
The study on this subject of prenatal acetaminophen exposure is inconclusive. Some of the evidence used to construct the consensus statement came from animal experiments or human studies with primary drawbacks.
More studies are needed to demonstrate that this pain medicine is causing fetal development health concerns and identify what doses and times of pregnancy exposure to acetaminophen may be most dangerous.
It is an Endocrine Disruptor
Acetaminophen is a known endocrine disruptor. That implies it can tamper with hormones and chemicals essential for normal growth, perhaps putting it off course.
According to the same consensus statement, some data suggest that acetaminophen exposure during pregnancy—particularly high dosages or recurrent use—may raise the chance of early puberty in females[6] or male fertility issues such as reduced sperm count[7].
It is also linked to other difficulties such as hypospadias[8] or undescended testicles, a birth abnormality in which the hole in the head of the penile is not in the correct position. It could contribute to attention deficit disorder and a lower IQ.
Natural Ways to Relieve Pain During Pregnancy
As much as the health professionals in the studies above advise against taking acetaminophen for pain during pregnancy, pregnant women still need other safe medications and remedies that ease the pain.
Some of the discomforts that pregnant women struggle with from the first trimester to the third that may warrant them needing pain relievers are
- Backaches and pains.
- Muscle aches.
- Chronic pain.
- Moderate pain in the uterus.
- Headaches and migraine.
- Reducing high fever.
Besides using Tylenol to treat pain as maternal-fetal medicine for the reasons highlighted above, there are other medications you must also avoid.
The first group is non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDs), widely used to treat pain and swelling. Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), aspirin, and naproxen (Aleve) are examples of over-the-counter NSAIDs. These could potentially result in miscarriage[9] when taken before 20 weeks. And after 20 weeks, it may cause kidney issues[10].
So to anyone asking themselves, can you take Aleve while pregnant? The answer is no!
The other group to avoid during pregnancy are opioid painkillers like Codeine, Hydrocodone (Vicodin), and Meperidine (Demerol). These raise the risks of miscarriages, premature birth, and neonatal abstinence syndrome[11] when a child is born dependent on a substance.
The last group of substances that are still a topic of controversy is the use of herbal and CBD-infused treatments. At the moment, there have been no cases of adverse effects on pregnant women, but the FDA is firmly against[12] it due to the lack of proper standardization and regulation of these treatments for pain.
Instead of using Tylenol or any of the above while pregnant, here are natural ways that doctors may suggest and are safe during pregnancy to relieve pain:
- Belly belts: These firm belts[13] support your baby bump while relieving pressure on your back.
- Body pillows: When lying on your side, place a pregnancy cushion between your legs to relieve strain on your lower spine. Many women use cushions to support their baby bumps or place them behind their rear ends for added support while sleeping.
- Cold or hot packs: Hot packs can help with sinus headaches and general muscular aches, but cold packs may help with tension headaches.
- Drinking plenty of water: Headaches can be caused by dehydration. So as an alternative to acetaminophen used in pregnancy to treat headache pain, ensure you drink plenty of water and nibble on water-rich foods like cucumbers and watermelon.
- Meditation: Even if it’s only for a few sessions a day, daily meditation[14] helps relieve stress and the severity and recurrence of headaches. Numerous computer applications (apps) can provide you with a guided meditation that calms the mind and heals the body.
- Prenatal massage: Doctors may also suggest this relaxation massage[15] for pregnant women to relax tight muscles and reduce stress, which can relieve many pregnancy aches and pains and is generally considered safe if done correctly.
- Stretching or prenatal yoga: These gentle exercises[16] decrease back pain by releasing stress and strengthening the muscles that support your baby’s bump. Yoga’s emphasis on deep breathing can also help relieve tension headaches.
These home cures for pain alleviation might be beneficial and, most importantly, limit the likelihood of exposure to acetaminophen or taking NSAIDs.
However, if you are in severe or regular discomfort or have a high fever, you should contact a health professional. They can recommend pain relievers and advise you on safe over-the-counter medications. Ensure that your symptoms aren’t the result of a more significant problem directly related to the pain.
The Bottom Line
Prenatal care is always riddled with questions like, can you take Tylenol pm while pregnant, or how often can you take Tylenol while pregnant? And the answer we have for you is that you can take Tylenol while pregnant only when it is mandatory and prescribed. Otherwise, use the alternative natural ways we have discussed above.
And this answer is still ‘only when prescribed’ for a question like “Can I take Tylenol while pregnant first trimester?”
Tylenol has the active ingredient acetaminophen, which poses a potential risk to the unborn baby. So, as a precautionary measure to avoid prenatal exposure to these substances, stay away from Tylenol and other cold medications with acetaminophen.
+ 16 sources
Health Canal avoids using tertiary references. We have strict sourcing guidelines and rely on peer-reviewed studies, academic researches from medical associations and institutions. To ensure the accuracy of articles in Health Canal, you can read more about the editorial process here
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, .(2016). People at Risk – Pregnant Women and Newborns | Listeria | CDC. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/listeria/risk-groups/pregnant-women.html.
- Servey, J. and Chang, J. (2014) “Over-the-Counter Medications in Pregnancy”, American Family Physician, 90(8), pp. 548-555. Available at: https://www.aafp.org/afp/2014/1015/p548.html
- Bauer, A.Z., Swan, S.H., Kriebel, D. et al. Paracetamol use during pregnancy — a call for precautionary action. Nat Rev Endocrinol 17, 757–766 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41574-021-00553-7
- Masarwa, R. et al. (2018) “Prenatal Exposure to Acetaminophen and Risk for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Autistic Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Meta-Regression Analysis of Cohort Studies”, American Journal of Epidemiology, 187(8), pp. 1817-1827. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwy086.
- Dr.Hallowell, .(n.d). #NedTalks. [ONLINE] Available at: http://drhallowell.com/the-hallowell-centers/. [Accessed 21 May 2022].
- Marshall, W. A., & Tanner, J. M. (1969). Variations in pattern of pubertal changes in girls. Archives of disease in childhood, 44(235), 291–303. https://doi.org/10.1136/adc.44.235.291
- Banihani S. A. (2018). Effect of paracetamol on semen quality. Andrologia, 50(1), 10.1111/and.12874. https://doi.org/10.1111/and.12874
- Hurtado-Gonzalez, P., & Mitchell, R. T. (2017). Analgesic use in pregnancy and male reproductive development. Current opinion in endocrinology, diabetes, and obesity, 24(3), 225–232. https://doi.org/10.1097/MED.0000000000000338
- U.S Food & Drug. (2015). FDA Drug Safety Communication: FDA has reviewed possible risks of pain medicine use during pregnancy. Available at: https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-drug-safety-communication-fda-has-reviewed-possible-risks-pain-medicine-use-during-pregnancy
- U.S Food & Drug. (2020).NSAIDs may cause rare kidney problems in unborn babies. Available at: https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-recommends-avoiding-use-nsaids-pregnancy-20-weeks-or-later-because-they-can-result-low-amniotic
- Sanlorenzo, L. A., Stark, A. R., & Patrick, S. W. (2018). Neonatal abstinence syndrome: an update. Current opinion in pediatrics, 30(2), 182–186. https://doi.org/10.1097/MOP.0000000000000589
- U.S Food & Drug. (2019). What You Should Know About Using CBD When Pregnant or Breastfeeding (2020). Available at: https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/what-you-should-know-about-using-cannabis-including-cbd-when-pregnant-or-breastfeeding
- Quintero Rodriguez, C., & Troynikov, O. (2019). The Effect of Maternity Support Garments on Alleviation of Pains and Discomforts during Pregnancy: A Systematic Review. Journal of pregnancy, 2019, 2163790. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/2163790
- Dhillon, A., Sparkes, E., & Duarte, R. V. (2017). Mindfulness-Based Interventions During Pregnancy: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Mindfulness, 8(6), 1421–1437. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-017-0726-x
- Field T. (2010). Pregnancy and labor massage. Expert review of obstetrics & gynecology, 5(2), 177–181. https://doi.org/10.1586/eog.10.12
- Holden, S. C., Manor, B., Zhou, J., Zera, C., Davis, R. B., & Yeh, G. Y. (2019). Prenatal Yoga for Back Pain, Balance, and Maternal Wellness: A Randomized, Controlled Pilot Study. Global advances in health and medicine, 8, 2164956119870984. https://doi.org/10.1177/2164956119870984