US President Donald Trump with US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as they made statements on the use of paracetamol.
Photo: AFP / Saul Loeb
Paracetamol remains the safest option for pain relief during pregnancy, the College of Midwives says, despite Donald Trump’s claims about the painkiller.
The US president, along with Secretary of Health Robert Kennedy Jr, drew links on its use during pregnancy with autism in children, despite evidence it is safe.
New Zealand experts and medical regulators say that paracetamol is still considered safe for pregnant women and others to use, and Trump’s claims contradict decates of medical research.
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New Zealand College of Midwives chief executive Alison Eddy told Morning Report New Zealanders should dismiss the claim, saying more robust studies did not show a link, and it was being used to further a political agenda.
Alison Eddy said some pain medication was not recommended during pregnancy – such as Ibuprofen – but Paracetamol was safe to take to reduce fever, which could be a concern for both mother and baby.
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“We can be really confident in New Zealand that we have really robust, impartial, science-led institutions like MedSafe who are constantly reviewing new evidence and new information as it comes to light,” she said.
“Robust studies control for all of the other factors that could cause this condition, and when you look at those studies, it’s very clear that there is no link.”
The evidence was “easily misinterpreted, and I believe that’s what happened in this instance, for another political agenda”.
Some pain medication was not recommended during pregnancy – such as Ibuprofen – but Paracetamol was safe to take to reduce fever, which could be a concern for both mother and baby.
“The concern is that women will go without taking that medication, when actually, it’s advised that they do,” Eddy said.
She reminded people that only a few years ago, Trump was recommending drinking bleach to treat Covid-19. “When you put it in that context, you really see that this is someone who’s not qualified to make these statements.”
She urged people to put their faith in institutes which were known to be impartial and science-based.
Women’s health chair for the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Dr Scott White, told RNZ’s Afternoons on Tuesday he had been “shocked and dismayed” at the US statements.
Dr White said one factor in rising autism cases in recent years was a broadening of the diagnostic criteria and more awareness of the condition.
“There were some studies a while ago now that demonstrated an association between using paracetamol in pregnancy and autism and ADHD and those offspring… but what’s been very clearly demonstrated in a very big Swedish study, over 2.5 million children involved in that study, that the association really doesn’t hold up once you control for other factors that are also associated with autism in children.”
Scientific journal Nature cites that Swedish study, between 1995 and 2019, which found a minimal difference in autism rates between children who had and had not been exposed to paracetamol during pregnancy, while a Japanese study of more than 200,000 children found no links.
“It’s clear that there’s no causative effect,” Dr White said.
Autism New Zealand also put out a statement of concern about Trump’s announcement, saying that “We call for responsible, evidence-based communication from political leaders, especially on health matters affecting vulnerable populations and pregnant people.”