Paracetamol in pregnancy harms baby boys fertility?

[cherryglitter]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11711243

https://www.thisislondon.co.uk/stan...painkillers-during-pregnancy-can-harm-boys.do

Did anyone see this on the news last night too?
I took paracetamol in my pregnancy and I also have a baby boy.
I heard them saying about an increase in male infertility recently but there's no real scientific evidence to say that this is the reason why. (So don't panic!!)

I will take it with a pinch of salt until something is proven though.
I didn't think ibuprofen was advised to be taken in pregnancy anyway?!

(PS, im not trying to scaremonger, at all!!!)
"Pregnant women who are alarmed by these studies should note:

It is only prolonged use that has an effect, and most women in this study who used paracetamol did not have a baby boy with cryptorchidism."

 

[bathbabe]

i hope not. I had to take loads of paracetamol and codine for my back. I just wasnt allowed to take it in the 3rd tri.

 

[cherryglitter]

Yeah I took paracetamol during pregnancy too!

 

[RainbowDrop_x]

I have a baby girl so not sure I can respond to this from a mother of a son point of view. I took paracetamol through my pregnancy. I don't believe it though if I'm honest. I'm sure my MW said the ONLY thing you can take in pregnancy IS paracetamol. I think if that was the case then MW's would be clued up on it considering their job is to know EVERY aspect of pregnancy and childcare.

I daresay that if you were to take it every 4 hours..Every day..For 40 weeks it would have SOME kind of effect.. Not sure it would be that serious though.

 

[cherryglitter]

I've looked up the research and it's all a bit random if im honest. Kind of just looking for correlation in a really broad study!!

 

[SKATERBUN]

doesnt sound possible, its one of the safest analgesics theres nothing hormonal in paracetamol, if anything its tap water (build up of the hormonal pill in the water system) but again this is proven except on the fish in rivers apparently.

 

[PeanutBean]

I've looked up the research and it's all a bit random if im honest. Kind of just looking for correlation in a really broad study!!

This is the only way that research can be done on pregnant women and foetuses. I've not looked up the research but I assume that there will be a cohort of 2000 women (as sited in the BBC article) in which a number of factors will be measured including painkillers, their type and frequency of use. Then any apparent conditions of the babies will be examined and correlated with what the mother did during pregnancy. It's a standard way of doing this sort of thing and the reason that very large samples are required, 2000 isn't that many in this context and I noticed it said the increase for paracetomol alone wasn't significant. Correlations do not show cause and effect so you are right to consider it a bit random! Depending on how many measure they have taken at the start it could as easily be that there is a genetic predisposition in their sample, that their sample wasn't random enough. It could be explained that a particular condition causes headaches in pregnant women which make them take paracetamol and that the same condition also increases the chances of the boy have undescended testicles. What correlations are useful for is looking at where associations might exist. They are a starting point for further research that is targeted more specifically to isolate the factors thought to be involved.

Though in response to some of the other comments. MWs only know what they have learnt from experience and from the medical literature. They can't know everything as everything is not known about pregnancy and the effects of myriad things that happen during it. It's all very well putting faith in our MWs but where new science uncovers new associations or risks it's sensible not ot just dimiss it.

Also, considering anything as safe during pregnancy is not really the an ideal position. Paracetamol has long been used by pregnant women with no strikingly adverse effects but individuals can still have unusual responses to any drug no matter how safe it is considered. ALL medicine has a risk both for the person taking it and potentially for an unborn baby. It always makes sense to follow the precautionary principle during pregenancy and only take things where the remedy they provide will outweigh potential risks.

Personally I find paracetamol good for absolutely nothing so don't tend to take it!