Every second woman takes painkillers during pregnancy

Physicians are studying the consequences of taking painkillers in pregnancy

Careless and habitual use of pain medications during pregnancy can lead to unwanted side effects. Unfortunately, about 47 percent of pregnant women in pregnancy take painkillers.

The scientists of the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) found in an ongoing study that 47 percent of pregnant women take painkillers during pregnancy.

Pregnant women prefer paracetamol

In their study, the physicians analyzed data from a total of 518 pregnant women. Most women (86 percent) preferred paracetamol as an anti-pain medication, UKE experts said. These drugs are usually taken but only over a short period of time and in low dosage. Paracetamol is approved as a drug during all three trimesters of pregnancy.

Self-medication for analgesics widely used

The over-the-counter availability and the high degree of awareness ensure a high self-medication rate. So far, there were hardly any detailed data on the frequency and duration of medication in Germany, which were related to the pregnancy. Here it was urgently necessary to collect reliable data on the intake of paracetamol during pregnancy Anke Diemert from the Clinic for Obstetrics and Prenatal Medicine of the UKE.

Participants were interviewed once a trimester on the use of analgesics

The so-called Prinatal Determinants of Childrens Health (PRINCE) study has been investigating for several years which factors may have an influence on long-term child health during pregnancy. During the examination, the pregnant participants are interviewed once every trimester, including the use of analgesics. The physicians document the duration and the dose of the medications taken.

Some women were asked to give a umbilical cord blood test

"The study participants who gave birth in the UKE were also asked for a cord blood test, which gave us the opportunity to analyze the relationship between acetaminophen intake and the number of hematopoietic stem cells in a subgroup of women," explains Professor Gisa Tiegs, head of the Institute of Experimental Immunology and Hepatology, in the announcement of the UKE.

What are hematopoietic stem cells?

So-called hematopoietic stem cells are cells that can be isolated from the umbilical cord blood. These cells later develop into immune cells. Altering these stem cells can affect the differentiation of immune cells, which are important in the development of various diseases.

The intake of paracetamol reduced the number of hematopoietic stem cells

When pregnant women took paracetamol, this reduced the number of hematopoietic stem cells in umbilical cord blood, especially if taken in the third trimester of pregnancy, the authors explain. The impact of a reduced number of stem cells and the consequences for the immune system of children has yet to be clarified by current research.

Paracetamol should not be taken regularly or by habit

The intake of paracetamol during pregnancy may well be appropriate, say the experts. "Critically, only cases are seen in which paracetamol is used habitually and, if necessary, without hesitation. Possible side effects for the unborn child should be considered here ", explains the study director Dr. med. Anke Diemert. (As)