Nisha Pandey

Could Tylenol Taken During Pregnancy Affect Girl Child’s Future Reproductive Health? Study Raises Concern

<span>Tylenol</span> is one of the most commonly used pain killers. That’s why a study on the drug’s long-term effect on reproductive health of unborn girl children is concerning. 

Researchers in Denmark found that girls exposed to paracetamol, also known as <span>acetaminophen</span> or Tylenol in the US, during fetal development had smaller ovaries, fewer ovarian follicles and smaller uteruses in infancy compared to girls who were not exposed to the component. 

It’s essential to understand that study does not show that girls exposed to the drug will certainly have fertility problems later in life. 

The researchers say it is still too early to know whether the changes observed during infancy and adolescence will translate into reduced fertility or earlier menopause. 

Published in <em>Human Reproduction Open</em>, the study involved 302 girls from the <span>Copenhagen Analgesic Study</span>, or <span>COPANA</span>. 

The researchers tracked mothers' <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-news/centre-has-banned-156-medicines-including-paracetamol-due-to-increasing-health-risk-article-151034898" data-type="tilCustomLink">paracetamol</a> use during pregnancy through repeated questionnaires and also measured the drug in urine samples. 

The girls were examined at around three months of age, during a period known as minipuberty, when the reproductive hormone system becomes temporarily active. 

Of the 302 girls, 92 had first been exposed to paracetamol before 17 weeks of pregnancy; 67 were first exposed from 17 weeks onward and 143 had no reported prenatal exposure. 

The researchers found that girls exposed during early fetal development had an approximately 40% smaller ovarian volume and a 13% smaller uterine volume compared to girls who were not exposed. 

Girls exposed during mid-to-late fetal development stage had about 23% fewer ovarian follicles. These follicles contain immature eggs that can potentially develop and mature over a woman's reproductive life. 

Additionally, girls exposed exclusively during early pregnancy also had lower levels of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), a hormone produced by <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-news/weight-loss-surgery-may-improve-irregular-periods-and-other-pmos-symptoms-article-156120867" data-type="tilCustomLink">ovarian follicles</a> that is commonly used as a marker of ovarian reserve.

Also read: <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-news/tylenol-other-medications-linked-to-400-rise-in-liver-injuries-in-us-article-155713035" data-type="tilCustomLink">Tylenol, Other Medications Linked To 400% Rise In Liver Injuries In US</a> 

<h2>Changes From Infancy To Adolescence </h2>

Researchers also examined an independent group of 1,210 girls who had been followed from infancy through adolescence. 

In this group, prenatal <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-news/pan-d-paracetamol-and-other-50-commonly-used-drugs-failed-quality-drugs-article-151041613" data-type="tilCustomLink">paracetamol exposure</a> was associated with a smaller uterus at puberty and smaller ovaries during adolescence. 

Study leader Margit Bistrup Fischer of Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen stressed that the long-term implications remain unknown. Whether these early reproductive differences affect fertility or the timing of menopause will require long-term follow-up.

Also read: <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-wellness/lower-doses-of-cbd-could-also-cause-liver-damage-fda-study-finds-article-152242178" data-type="tilCustomLink">Lower Doses Of CBD Could Also Cause Liver Damage: FDA Study Finds</a> 

This was an observational study, which means that researchers looked at an association between prenatal exposure to paracetamol and changes in future <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-news/india-earns-who-recognition-for-sustaining-tetanus-elimination-for-10-years-how-mothers-and-newborns-were-protected-article-156119704" data-type="tilCustomLink">reproductive health</a>. 

They did not randomly assign pregnant women to take paracetamol, so the study cannot establish that the drug itself caused the changes. 

The authors also say that external factors cannot be completely excluded. Women who took paracetamol because they must have been pain and discomfort due to headaches, fever or other illnesses. These underlying conditions could also influence fetal development. 

Also, the women used relatively low to moderate amounts of paracetamol. According to COPANA cohort, the most common reasons were headaches or migraines, musculoskeletal pain, illness or cold and fever. 

The study also found that increased reported paracetamol exposure, meaning high dose, was too associated with lower ovarian and uterine volumes.

Also read: <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-news/paracetamol-is-not-safe-for-older-people-finds-study-article-151107976" data-type="tilCustomLink">Paracetamol Is Not Safe For Older People, Finds Study</a> 

<h2>Earlier Studies That Raised Similar Concerns About Tylenol </h2>

Before You Take Another Paracetamol, Watch This | Doctors Explain the Hidden Risk

It's not the first time that Tylenol has sparked safety concerns. In 2025, new studies by Mount Sinai and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health raised an concerning question: is prenatal exposure to <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-wellness/alcohol-and-medications-how-long-should-you-wait-before-mixing-them-article-151142057" data-type="tilCustomLink">acetaminophen</a> associated with neurodevelopmental disorders including autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children? 

A study led by Andrea Baccarelli, dean of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s faculty of environmental health in BMC Environmental Health, systematically reviewed 46 previous studies encompassing data from more than 100,000 participants. 

The aim was to investigate whether acetaminophen use during pregnancy correlates with neurodevelopmental disorders in children. 

Applying the <span>Navigation Guide Systematic Review</span> method—a strict, gold-standard approach to assessing environmental health evidence—the study team evaluated the quality, risk of bias, and strength of evidence of all included research. 

By doing so, it was possible to conduct a solid synthesis of available scientific literature, and what emerged was a pattern: better-quality studies showed a more pronounced association between prenatal acetaminophen exposure and offspring increased risk of ADHD and autism. 

Another recent study observed that <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-news/fatty-liver-chronic-gut-diseases-and-worm-infections-indias-changing-disease-burden-article-156026721" data-type="tilCustomLink">liver injuries</a> reported to US poison centres increased by nearly 400% between 2000 and 2024, due to acetaminophen, sold under brand names like Tylenol. 

The study also found that exposures involving acetaminophen-containing combination drugs decreased by 60%-85% after the <span>US Food and Drug Administration</span> capped the amount of acetaminophen allowed in combination prescription products. 

However, harmful exposures to acetaminophen alone increased steadily over the 24 years. The findings suggest that regulatory action reduced liver injuries linked to combination products, while acetaminophen alone remained a leading contributor to poison-centre-reported liver injuries.

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Tylenol is one of the most commonly used pain killers. That’s why a study on the drug’s long-term effect on reproductive health of unborn girl children is concerning. Researchers in Denmark found that girls exposed to paracetamol, also known as acetaminophen or Tylenol in the US, during fetal development had smaller ovaries, fewer ovarian follicles and smaller uteruses in infancy compared to girls who were not exposed to the component. It’s essential to understand that study does not show that girls exposed to the drug will certainly have fertility problems later in life. The researchers say it is still too early to know whether the changes observed during infancy and adolescence will translate into reduced fertility or earlier menopause. What Did The Study Find? Published in Human Reproduction Open, the study involved 302 girls from the Copenhagen Analgesic Study, or COPANA. The researchers tracked mothers' paracetamol use during pregnancy through repeated questionnaires and also measured the drug in urine samples. The girls were examined at around three months of age, during a period known as minipuberty, when the reproductive hormone system becomes temporarily active. Of the 302 girls, 92 had first been exposed to paracetamol before 17 weeks of pregnancy; 67 were first exposed from 17 weeks onward and 143 had no reported prenatal exposure. The researchers found that girls exposed during early fetal development had an approximately 40% smaller ovarian volume and a 13% smaller uterine volume compared to girls who were not exposed. Girls exposed during mid-to-late fetal development stage had about 23% fewer ovarian follicles. These follicles contain immature eggs that can potentially develop and mature over a woman's reproductive life. Additionally, girls exposed exclusively during early pregnancy also had lower levels of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), a hormone produced by ovarian follicles that is commonly used as a marker of ovarian reserve.Also read: Tylenol, Other Medications Linked To 400% Rise In Liver Injuries In US Changes From Infancy To Adolescence Researchers also examined an independent group of 1,210 girls who had been followed from infancy through adolescence. In this group, prenatal paracetamol exposure was associated with a smaller uterus at puberty and smaller ovaries during adolescence. Study leader Margit Bistrup Fischer of Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen stressed that the long-term implications remain unknown. Whether these early reproductive differences affect fertility or the timing of menopause will require long-term follow-up.Also read: Lower Doses Of CBD Could Also Cause Liver Damage: FDA Study Finds Tylenol And Infertility This was an observational study, which means that researchers looked at an association between prenatal exposure to paracetamol and changes in future reproductive health. They did not randomly assign pregnant women to take paracetamol, so the study cannot establish that the drug itself caused the changes. The authors also say that external factors cannot be completely excluded. Women who took paracetamol because they must have been pain and discomfort due to headaches, fever or other illnesses. These underlying conditions could also influence fetal development. Also, the women used relatively low to moderate amounts of paracetamol. According to COPANA cohort, the most common reasons were headaches or migraines, musculoskeletal pain, illness or cold and fever. The study also found that increased reported paracetamol exposure, meaning high dose, was too associated with lower ovarian and uterine volumes.Also read: Paracetamol Is Not Safe For Older People, Finds Study Earlier Studies That Raised Similar Concerns About Tylenol             It's not the first time that Tylenol has sparked safety concerns. In 2025, new studies by Mount Sinai and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health raised an concerning question: is prenatal exposure to acetaminophen associated with neurodevelopmental disorders including autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children? A study led by Andrea Baccarelli, dean of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s faculty of environmental health in BMC Environmental Health, systematically reviewed 46 previous studies encompassing data from more than 100,000 participants. The aim was to investigate whether acetaminophen use during pregnancy correlates with neurodevelopmental disorders in children. Applying the Navigation Guide Systematic Review method—a strict, gold-standard approach to assessing environmental health evidence—the study team evaluated the quality, risk of bias, and strength of evidence of all included research. By doing so, it was possible to conduct a solid synthesis of available scientific literature, and what emerged was a pattern: better-quality studies showed a more pronounced association between prenatal acetaminophen exposure and offspring increased risk of ADHD and autism. Another recent study observed that liver injuries reported to US poison centres increased by nearly 400% between 2000 and 2024, due to acetaminophen, sold under brand names like Tylenol. The study also found that exposures involving acetaminophen-containing combination drugs decreased by 60%-85% after the US Food and Drug Administration capped the amount of acetaminophen allowed in combination prescription products. However, harmful exposures to acetaminophen alone increased steadily over the 24 years. The findings suggest that regulatory action reduced liver injuries linked to combination products, while acetaminophen alone remained a leading contributor to poison-centre-reported liver injuries.

could tylenol taken during pregnancy affect girl child’s future reproductive health? study raises concern

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