Gonzalo Pin Arboledas
Head of the Pediatrics Unit and coordinator of the Sleep Unit of Hospital Quirónsalud Valencia. Coordinator of the Sleep and Chronobiology Group of the Spanish Association of Pediatrics (AEP).
It is a good quality study. Data have been collected prospectively by dividing patients into two groups. The data are robust, however interpretable. There are many limitations to the study, as the authors rightly refer to at the end. And the objective odds ratio [the measure of the relationship] is not very high.
Papers related to pregnancy and paracetamol use have been published for several years. More quality and longer-term studies are needed to be done to be clear whether paracetamol can produce any type of effect on the fetus.
As for the limitations of the study, the authors themselves specify:
- The dose or frequency of paracetamol use is not determined.
- A single telephone questionnaire was carried out in the 35th week of gestation, so there could be patients who had taken paracetamol at a later date.
- The behavior of the children has been evaluated through a questionnaire answered by the parents. There has been no specific evaluation by a professional.
- The family dynamics and family psychopathology that could influence the neurodevelopment of the children are not evaluated.
In addition, the percentages of mothers reporting stress during pregnancy, anxiety or depression, and alcohol consumption in the sample are very high. This may lead to confounding of the results so, again, more studies and long series are needed to confirm these results.