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Taking paracetamol during pregnancy has been linked to fertility problems in unborn children a new study suggests a new study by Scottish scientists .
Pregnant women who take common painkillers like paracetamol could unwittingly be putting the fertility of their daughters at risk.
Paracetamol is the most widely-used painkiller in the world - and is deemed the only painkiller that is safe for mothers-to-be.
But tests found when a mother took paracetamol or was prescribed the aspirin-like drug indomethacin, her female offspring had fewer eggs than those not exposed to the medicines.
Previous research by the same Scottish scientists found paracetamol had lifelong effects on baby boys, raising their risk of everything from infertility to cancer.
They say mothers-to-be have become 'blasé' about paracetamol's potential dangers–have and urged them to think twice before taking the drug.
If the tablets are taken, they should be used in the lowest possible dose, for the shortest possible time, they add.
The new research, which was performed on rats, found mothers given paracetamol had daughters with smaller ovaries and who gave birth to smaller litters of babies.
Males were affected too, having fewer cells that give rise to sperm later in life.
However, their fertility recovered to normal levels by the time they matured into adults.
Despite the fact that foetal development is slower in humans than in rats, the scientists say the findings are significant given the similarity of the two species' reproductive systems.
Paracetamol is widely used to treat headaches, while prescription-only indomethacin reduces inflammation and the pain of fever and arthritis.
Daily Mail
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on
January 29, 2016
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