Pre-natal exposure to paracetamol correlated with higher rates of autism in children, especially in boys.
“The male brain may be more vulnerable to harmful influences during early life. Our differing gender results suggest that androgenic endocrine disruption, to which male brains could be more sensitive, may explain the association,” lead author Claudia Avella-Garcia, researcher at Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), a Spanish research organisation.
Maternal intake of paracetamol during pregnancy increased the risk of ADHD in children of both genders.