Pregnancy Popular Painkiller Paracetamol Usache premature infertility?

New study shows: Paracetamol is more dangerous than previously thought

The analgesic and antipyretic drug paracetamol is considered harmless. As a cheap and over-the-counter painkiller, paracetamol is on the World Health Organization's list of essential medicines and is one of the most popular painkillers in the world. But a recent study has revealed a new side of the popular drug.

The results of the work show that acetaminophen can damage the fertility of a fetus in the long term if the analgesic is taken during pregnancy.

In animal experiments, scientists were able to document how paracetamol reduced the number of oocytes (oocytes) in female fetuses. This can have dramatic consequences for fertility, as the oocyte reserve in women is limited and progressively decreases over the course of life. Too few oocytes are a common cause of female infertility. The research team led by David Kristensen of the Danish Headache Center in Denmark has published his latest study results in the journal "Endocrine Connections".

Unfulfilled desire for children? A new study documents how the intake of paracetamol in pregnant animals leads to earlier infertility of the offspring. (Image: RioPatuca Images / fotolia.com)

The consequences only become apparent in adulthood

The researchers show in the study that the drug's active ingredients in pregnant rats and mice are able to cross the placental barrier and exert influence on the embryo. This led to long-term consequences, which became apparent much later in adulthood. The animals had diminished female reproductive health.

Urgent need for clarification

The scientists now assume that premature menopause can also occur in human women when they have come into contact with paracetamol as a fetus. This could be problematic in the Western world, as on one hand the age of births is constantly increasing and on the other hand paracetamol is recommended during pregnancy for pain and fever.

The researchers see an urgent need for further studies to verify the data, including experimental and epidemiological approaches. Although there are no relevant studies on the effects on humans, the intake of paracetamol during pregnancy should be better discussed with a doctor.

What is the relationship between oocytes and menopause

In female human embryos, primordial germ cells begin to migrate into the female gonadal system as early as the third week, where they partially develop into oocytes, the actual oocytes. Until the first menstrual period, most oocytes die again.

On average, about 400,000 of the original 700,000 to 2 million oocytes are still present at this time. In the further course of life, these steadily decrease, until finally the menopause occurs. Menopause refers to the time of the last spontaneous menstruation in a woman's life, which ends fertility. (Fp)