Acetaminophen, also known as paracetamol (International Nonproprietary Name),¹ may be one of the more dangerous drugs you can purchase. This may surprise you since most households carry one or two variations of the product to treat headaches, fever or cold symptoms.

Acetaminophen is classified as an analgesic, or a medication acting to relieve pain. According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, analgesics are the No. 1 reason people call a poison control center.²

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) links 980 deaths per year to acetaminophen and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) determined that, beginning in 2006, the number of people who died after accidentally taking too much acetaminophen exceeded the number who purposely overdosed on acetaminophen.³

However, these numbers may be deceiving, as other researchers have found 56,000 emergency room visits and 26,000 hospitalizations can be attributed to acetaminophen.⁴

Although frighteningly high for a drug most people routinely keep in their homes, this isn't the only damage acetaminophen may cause.

A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Pediatrics has linked taking acetaminophen during pregnancy with conduct disorders and hyperactivity in children.⁵

Acetaminophen During Pregnancy Linked to Hyperactivity and Conduct Disorders

The objective of this British study was to examine the association between behavioral problems in children and mothers who took acetaminophen during pregnancy and/or during the postpartum months, or partners who took acetaminophen.⁶

The researchers concluded: "Children exposed to acetaminophen prenatally are at increased risk of multiple behavioral difficulties."⁷ The researchers did find that these results were not explained by social factors or other behavioral challenges linked to increased use of acetaminophen.

As compared to individuals who did not use acetaminophen during their pregnancy, those who took the drug during weeks 18 and 32 had a 31 percent increased risk of hyperactivity and a 42 percent higher relative risk of conduct disorders in their children.⁸

This study controlled for a number of different variables that could have affected the results, such as genetics, smoking and alcohol use.⁹ There were over 7,700 participants.

Not everyone was convinced by the results of the study. Even lead author, epidemiologist Evie Stergiakouli, PH.D., of the University of Bristol, stepped around the issue, saying:¹⁰

"Observational associations do not necessarily mean that there is a causal association between the risk factor and the health outcome."

However, the researchers also noted (quoted from Medical News Today):¹¹

"Children exposed to acetaminophen use prenatally are at increased risk of multiple behavioral difficulties … Given the widespread use of acetaminophen among pregnant women, this can have important implications on public health advice."