The Briefing Paracetamol and autism link debunked + Hate crime laws pass first hurdle
Jan 20, 2026
Professor Helen Leonard, a Principal Research Fellow specializing in neurodevelopmental disorders, joins to debunk the myth linking paracetamol use during pregnancy to autism and ADHD. She explains a comprehensive Lancet study that found no increased risks, contrasting it with less rigorous past claims. Helen emphasizes the importance of treating fever during pregnancy and highlights the role of genetic factors in autism. The discussion also touches on the recent progression of hate crime laws and alarming shark attacks in New South Wales.
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Large Review Finds No Link To Paracetamol
- A systematic review and meta-analysis found no increased risk of autism, ADHD or intellectual disability from prenatal paracetamol use.
- The study analysed 46 articles and further examined 17, finding no association after rigorous adjustments.
Why This Study Is More Reliable
- The Lancet study was more rigorous than the US-cited work because it adjusted for confounders and included sibling comparisons.
- Accounting for family, genetic and other factors produced a more reliable answer than less-controlled studies.
Sibling Comparisons Clarify Causality
- Sibling-comparison designs compare pregnancies from the same mother to control family and genetic factors.
- This method helps isolate medication effects by holding many confounders constant across siblings.