If you’re pregnant and have the habit of popping a paracetamol whenever you have a slight headache or fever, you might be in trouble, says a new study.
Researchers from the University of Bristol and Oslo University have found that pregnant women who take a paracetamol frequently could be increasing the chances of their kids having asthma later on in life.
What the study shows
The study investigated data from the Norwegian Mother And Child Cohort Study of 1,14,500 children and their association between paracetamol exposure and asthma.
The study findings revealed that the risk for asthma was increased by 13 per cent by the age of 3 and for children who were exposed to who were exposed to paracetamol during the first six months of their lives, the risk was elevated by 29 per cent.
“Similar results were observed for asthma at the seven. Uncovering potential adverse effects is of public health importance, as paracetamol is the most commonly used painkiller among pregnant women and infants,” study author Maria Magnus from the University of Bristol told the Huffington Post.
The results, which were published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, showed the strongest association was seen if the mother used paracetamol during pregnancy for more than one illness.
Magnus also said that although there have been previous studies on the association between paracetamol and asthma, the new research says that the risks are being caused by paracetamol itself and not the condition which lead to its consumptions such as pain, fever, or influenza.
Avoiding OTC medicines during pregnancy
While it’s easy to pop a painkiller to ease a headache and other kinds of moderate pain, doctors advice that pregnant mothers should stay away from painkillers as far as possible, especially the ones that are available over-the-counter.
However, what's shocking is that fact that many gynaecologists themselves advice pregnant women to take a paracetamol every day as it is a harmless drug. When I was pregnant my doctor had said that you can safely take three crocins in a day.
But, experts say that this practice could be doing more harm than good and to-me moms should stay away from painkillers during pregnancy. There are many natural ways by which you can soothe common pregnancy pains such as headache, back pain, muscles cramps.
Read more about swapping painkillers with natural solutions in our story on Natural ways to soothe 4 common pregnancy problems
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