Common NSAID May Lead to Reduced Fertility of Offspring

Paracetamol, also known as acetaminophen, is commonly taken by pregnant women to help relieve pain, but a new study suggests that this medication may lead to reduced fertility among female offspring. Investigators found that rodents given paracetamol during pregnancy, at doses equivalent to what pregnant woman usually take for pain relief, produced female offspring with fewer eggs. Lead investigator Dr. David Kristensen writes, “Although this may not be a severe impairment to fertility, it is still of real concern since data from three different labs all independently found that paracetamol may disrupt female reproductive development in this way, which indicates further investigation is needed to establish how this affects human fertility.” Endocrine Connections, January 2018