Paracetamol and pregnancy
Published on 23 Sep 2025 · source: MHRA — Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
What this means
Drug Safety Update is the MHRA bulletin for healthcare professionals: new safety information, restrictions of use and recommendations for monitoring.
Summary
Patients should be reminded and reassured that there is no evidence that taking paracetamol during pregnancy causes autism in children. Paracetamol is recommended as the first-choice pain reliever for pregnant women, used at the lowest dose and for the shortest duration. It also acts as an antipyretic and is therefore used to treat fever.