Acetaminophen (Tylenol or Paracetamol in the EU)  is by far the most commonly used medication for pain & fever during pregnancy and in babies and children. In the US, 11% of children nationwide use the drug each week.

Many parents are quick to give this medication to small children, because they don’t want their children to feel uncomfortable. At the first sign of a fever or malaise, they reach for the Tylenol.

But, we shouldn’t necessarily be scared of fever, it’s the body‘s way of fighting off an infection. 

Here are more reasons why you should leave medication like Tylenol only for serious situations & reconsider having it as your regular go to:

IN CHILDREN: 

1. Depletes the body of glutathione. Glutathione helps the body to detoxify. Ibuprofen is metabolized in the liver, but then while there it depletes glutathione… When the liver’s glutathione is depleted, a baby’s body has a harder time riding itself of harmful toxins.

2. Various publications have found possible links between using Tylenol for fever supression post vaccination in specfific children with genetic predispositions under 6 months of age. One of them, a large published review by doctors from Harvard, Duke and the University of Colorado concluded “one explanation for the increased prevalence of autism is that increased exposure to acetaminophen, exacerbated by inflammation & oxidative stress, when given to a child at a susceptible timing or with susceptible genetics and epigenetics is neurotoxic in babies and small children. “ adding: “acetaminophen, the analgesic most commonly administered in conjunction with vaccination and the only analgesic administered to children under the age of 6 months following vaxxination” has been linked to autism (sources of various studies below )

*more studies are necessary but clearly warrant the precautionary principle 

3. Ingredients in Children’s Tylenol are just not great:

• FD&C red no. 40: petroleum based ingredients that can contain up to 10 % impurities. Health Canada, id’d small amounts of carcinogenic impurities in Red Dye 40. Linked to increase hyperactivity in children

• high fructose corn syrup: have been shown to drive inflammation, which is associated with an increased risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. In addition to inflammation, excess fructose may increase harmful substances called advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which may harm your cells. Often the corn is treated with glyphosate

• butylparaben: Endocrine disruptor that has been linked with reduced sperm quality as well as changes in the prostate, testicles, ovaries and breast development

DURING PREGNANCY

• Tylenol is the only analgesic that the US FDA considers safe, when used as recommended, to take throughout pregnancy

• Some studies have found that prenatal exposure to acetaminophen could potentially impact babies. Specifically they have found:

1. Acetaminophen can cross the placental barrier

2. Acetaminophen is a potential endocrine disruptor. Studies suggested that maternal use of acetaminophen increases the risk for undescended testis in boys

3. Large scale studies have estimated slight associations between maternal use of acetaminophen in pregnancy & behavioral problems, symptoms of ADHD disorder & diagnosis with an autism spectrum disorder. When women reported having used acetaminophen for 20 + wks during pregnancy, the risk for diagnosis in children almost doubled [84%] & the risk for receiving ADHD medication increased by 50%”Previous animal studies reached similar conclusions

*more studies are necessary but clearly warrant the precautionary principle 

Bottom line

There is a time & place to use medicine like acetaminophen.   Used correctly in certain situations  it can even save lives. 

In moderation, the ingredients in these medications, in such small amounts, will barely affect most people. Please note I am not saying to never take this medication.  However, with kids, and while pregnant, we should reconsider always reaching for that bottle of Tylenol at the first sign of discomfort.   

Some Alternative / Prevention

• Elderberry: At early signs of sickness  consider Elderberry. This is an herb that fights viruses and the earlier you start the more effective. Tasha Rose Remedies has elixirs to promote balance and resiliency in your immune system

• Elderflower tea is gentle and wonderful for children with a fever.

• Ginger tea helps to break a fever

• Balanced varied diet to get plenty of vitamins and for babies that are not on solids: plenty of breast milk (or formula)

for pregnancy

Always contact your doctor if you have a fever during pregnancy. For pain some alternative preventive treatments that are safe to try:  acupuncture, massage, and relaxation techniques

SOURCES

https://www.choc.org/articles/the-dangers-of-acetaminophen-for-children/

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/childrens-health/in-depth/acetaminophen/art-20046721

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26813099/

Acetaminophen Use During Pregnancy, Behavioral Problems, and Hyperkinetic Disorders: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/1833486

Maternal use of acetaminophen during pregnancy and risk of autism spectrum disorders in childhood: A Danish national birth cohort study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26688372/

Acetaminophen in children: An old drug with new warnings: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3796971

Acetaminophen use in pregnancy and neurodevelopment: attention function and autism spectrum symptom: https://academic.oup.com/ije/article/45/6/1987/2617189

Acetaminophen and pregnancy: short- and long-term consequences for mother and child: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23432879/

Prenatal acetaminophen affects maternal immune and endocrine adaptation to pregnancy, induces placental damage, and impairs fetal development in mice: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26254283/

Reproductive Headache? Investigating Acetaminophen as a Potential Endocrine Disruptor: https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/full/10.1289/EHP2478

https://time.com/4772740/ibuprofen-naproxen-heart-attacks/

https://time.com/4746319/ibuprofen-painkillers-risks/?iid=sr-link3

Acetaminophen (paracetamol) use, measles-mumps-rubella vaccination, and autistic disorder: the results of a parent survey

Stephen T Schultz 1, Hillary S Klonoff-Cohen, Deborah L Wingard, Natacha A Akshoomoff, Caroline A Macera, Ming Ji

• PMID: 18445737 DOI: 10.1177/1362361307089518

Torres, A.R. Is fever suppression involved in the etiology of autism and neurodevelopmental disorders?. BMC Pediatr 3, 9 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2431-3-9

Did acetaminophen provoke the autism epidemic?

Peter Good 1PMID: 20030462

Risk of acute myocardial infarction with NSAIDs in real world use: bayesian meta-analysis of individual patient data

BMJ 2017; 357 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.j1909 (Published 09 May 2017)

Cite this as: BMJ 2017;357:j1909