Can You Take Tylenol While Pregnant?
Key takeaways:
Most people can safely take Tylenol (acetaminophen) while pregnant. In fact, it’s a first-choice medication for pain relief in pregnancy.
Some research shows a link between Tylenol use during pregnancy and developmental problems in babies. However, there's no proof that Tylenol actually caused these problems. So it's still considered safe to take during pregnancy for most people.
If you’re interested in taking Tylenol while pregnant, talk to your OB-GYN first. If they give you the OK, use the lowest effective dose for the shortest amount of time.
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Pregnancy can be a time of great joy. But it can also be a time of great discomfort. As your baby bump grows, so does the likelihood you’ll feel all the aches and pains of pregnancy. Back pain, achy joints, and even sciatica could make your pregnancy harder to manage.
Experiencing aches and pains during pregnancy is common. In fact, 3 out of 4 women report taking a pain reliever during pregnancy. And of these women, over 70% of them are using Tylenol (acetaminophen), a popular over-the-counter (OTC) pain medication. If you’re wondering whether Tylenol is safe during pregnancy, we have you covered. Let’s discuss how to safely take Tylenol during pregnancy as well as any potential risks.
Is Tylenol safe during pregnancy?
Medical experts consider Tylenol to be a safe choice during pregnancy. It hasn’t been shown to raise your chances of miscarriage or birth defects. However, it's been in the news over the past several years for other concerns during pregnancy. But many of the studies that looked at Tylenol use during pregnancy aren’t well-designed. And they don’t show that Tylenol causes negative effects during pregnancy (on either the mother or fetus).
Managing side effects: Tylenol is generally well tolerated, but it still has risks. Learn about Tylenol side effects here.
How to take Tylenol: Taking the lowest effective dose of Tylenol can help keep side effects at bay. Learn how much Tylenol is too much.
Medications to avoid during pregnancy: While Tylenol is safe for most people during pregnancy, several other medications aren’t. Learn which medications are considered unsafe to take while pregnant.
Still, it’s important to know what risks have been studied. Being familiar with the research can help you make the best decision for yourself and your unborn baby.
What are the risks of taking Tylenol while pregnant?
There’s been much debate about whether taking Tylenol during pregnancy impacts the development of the fetus. This is largely due to a 2021 review of studies written by several scientists and healthcare professionals. This article discussed concerns of Tylenol use during pregnancy.
Below, we’ll cover some of the most commonly discussed concerns of Tylenol use during pregnancy.
Developmental issues
Some studies have suggested that taking Tylenol during pregnancy might increase your child’s risk of developmental issues. Some studies have focused on attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Other developmental issues studied include autism, communication skills, and motor skills.
The research on whether using Tylenol during pregnancy can lead to developmental issues for babies is mixed. For example, a 2013 study that looked at close to 50,000 children found that mothers who took Tylenol for over 28 days during pregnancy had a higher likelihood of having children with developmental issues by age 3. This study, which also examined sibling pairs, found the same result: Infants that had been exposed to Tylenol in the womb were more likely to have developmental issues by age 3 compared to siblings who weren't exposed. Some of these developmental issues included delayed walking and worse communication skills.
On the other hand, a 2024 study of close to 2.5 million children, including 200,000 children whose mothers took Tylenol during pregnancy, showed different results. When looking at sibling pairs in this study, there was no association with Tylenol use in pregnancy and a child’s risk for autism, ADHD, or other developmental problems.
Changes in the reproductive tract and puberty
Some studies suggest that taking Tylenol during pregnancy can change how the reproductive tract develops in boys. For example, a study of over 3,000 baby boys found that mothers taking Tylenol in their second trimester of pregnancy were more likely to have a baby boy with cryptorchidism (undescended testicles). And another study of close to 700 baby boys found that mothers who took tylenol between weeks 8 to 14 of their pregnancy were more likely to have baby boys with a shorter than normal anogenital distance (the distance between the anus and the genitals). However, several other studies haven’t found a link between Tylenol use during pregnancy and the problems discussed above.
Studies have also looked at whether Tylenol use in pregnancy impacts the timing of puberty. One study of close to 16,000 girls and boys found that Tylenol use didn’t impact puberty in boys, but it did show some girls going through some stages of puberty earlier than normal. This included growing pubic hair and armpit hair as well as having acne breakouts. Still, it’s not clear if experiencing these events early has a negative health impact.
What’s the final word? Can you take Tylenol during pregnancy?
Most experts believe there’s not enough evidence to indicate that Tylenol is unsafe in pregnancy. For most people, taking Tylenol during pregnancy is OK to do.
The studies discussed above didn’t prove that abnormal development of babies exposed to Tylenol in the womb was actually caused by exposure to Tylenol. In fact, the authors acknowledged this fact because they couldn’t control for all confounders. Confounders are factors that may influence the results of a study, making it seem like there’s a connection between two things when there really isn’t. Normal development in children can be disrupted by several causes (both in the womb and after they’re born).
How to stay safe while taking Tylenol during pregnancy
If you want to take Tylenol during pregnancy, there are a few things you can do to make sure you are staying as safe as possible:
Speak with your OB-GYN before taking any medications. If you’re thinking about Tylenol, or any other medication, during pregnancy, speak with your OB-GYN first. They can let you know if there’s anything about your current health status that may put you more at risk after using Tylenol. They may also recommend avoiding medications in general during a certain trimester of pregnancy.
Less is more. You should always take the lowest effective Tylenol dose for the shortest amount of time. This is the safest bet during pregnancy.
Pay attention to medication labels. There are several Tylenol products on the market today. And Tylenol is also part of several combination medications. If your OB-GYN says it's OK to take Tylenol, make sure you’re not taking more than the recommended Tylenol dosage (a maximum of 4,000 mg per day, or less for some people).
Consider Tylenol interactions. Some medications can interact with Tylenol, making you more likely to experience Tylenol side effects (or the other medication’s side effects). Ask your pharmacist or another member of your healthcare team to check for Tylenol interactions. Giving them an updated medication list will help them do this.
Can you take medications like Advil or Aleve while pregnant?
Aleve (naproxen), Advil (ibuprofen), and aspirin are part of a group of medications called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The FDA recommends avoiding this popular group of pain relievers after your 20th week of pregnancy. Taking NSAIDs after this time can cause low amniotic fluid levels and kidney problems in the baby. Amniotic fluid is the fluid that surrounds your baby in the womb.
Before the 20th week of pregnancy, the risks of using NSAIDs like Aleve or Advil are unclear. This is why Tylenol is recommended over NSAIDs for pain relief during pregnancy.
One notable exception to what’s discussed here is aspirin. Low-dose aspirin (81 mg) may be necessary to prevent preeclampsia (a pregnancy-related condition involving high blood pressure). Your OB-GYN will let you know if you need low-dose aspirin during pregnancy.
Check with your OB-GYN before taking any pain medications during pregnancy. If they feel that an NSAID is needed, use the lowest dose for the shortest amount of time.
The bottom line
Taking Tylenol (acetaminophen) during pregnancy is generally considered safe. In fact, it’s usually a first-choice pain reliever in pregnancy. Although some studies show that Tylenol use during pregnancy can affect the development of your baby, there’s not enough evidence to show that Tylenol causes developmental problems.
If you’re interested in trying Tylenol for pregnancy aches and pains, talk to your OB-GYN first. They can let you know if they think it’s a safe option for you. And always use the lowest effective dose for the shortest amount of time.
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References
Ahlqvist, V. H., et al. (2024). Acetaminophen use during pregnancy and children’s risk of autism, ADHD, and intellectual disability. JAMA.
Andriyani, R., et al. (2023). Factors affecting the developmental status of children aged 6 months to 2 years in urban and rural areas. Children.
Bauer, A. Z., et al. (2021). Paracetamol use during pregnancy — A call for precautionary action. Nature Reviews Endocrinology.
Brandlistuen, R. E., et al. (2013). Prenatal paracetamol exposure and child neurodevelopment: A sibling-controlled cohort study. International Journal of Epidemiology.
Ernst, A., et al. (2019). Acetaminophen (paracetamol) exposure during pregnancy and pubertal development in boys and girls from a nationwide puberty cohort. American Journal of Epidemiology.
Fischer, M. B., et al. (2020). Anogenital distance in healthy infants: Method-, age- and sex-related reference ranges. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
Fisher, B. G., et al. (2016). Prenatal paracetamol exposure is associated with shorter anogenital distance in male infants. Human Reproduction.
Likhar, A., et al. (2022). Early childhood development and social determinants. Cureus.
MotherToBaby. (2023). Acetaminophen (paracetamol). The Organization of Teratology Information Specialists.
Office on Women’s Health. (2021). Body changes and discomforts’. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Snijder, C. A., et al. (2012). Intrauterine exposure to mild analgesics during pregnancy and the occurrence of cryptorchidism and hypospadia in the offspring: The Generation R Study. Human Reproduction.
Tadokoro-Cuccaro, R., et al. (2022). Maternal paracetamol intake during pregnancy—Impacts on offspring reproductive development. Frontiers in Toxicology.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. (2021). ACOG response to consensus statement on paracetamol use during pregnancy.
Vignato, J., et al. (2023). Over-the-counter pain medication use during pregnancy. MCN: The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing.
Workalemahu, T., et al. (2018). Genetic and environmental influences on fetal growth vary during sensitive periods in pregnancy. Scientific Reports.
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