Acetaminophen Use During Pregnancy: Better Than Safe?

Acetaminophen is often used during pregnancy and has been presumed to be safe. In an analysis designed to evaluate first-trimester use of acetaminophen and the occurrence of birth defects, investigators used data from the population-based National Birth Defects Prevention Study. Trained interviewers asked women (who had delivered) about first-trimester medication use and occurrence of infections with or without fever. The study sample included 11,610 children with birth defects (cases) and 4500 controls.

Almost half of the women in both case and control groups used acetaminophen. Acetaminophen-exposed children of mothers without fevers showed no significant excess risk for any birth defects. Infants of women who reported acetaminophen use fo…