Tachipirina in pregnancy: what are the real contraindications?
The tachipirina in pregnancy is to be considered a safe drug, mostly useful in case of headache, back pain or fever that could occur during the 9 months before giving birth. About the "use of paracetamol we hear a lot: there are those who say that it could compromise the health of male children by inhibiting the production of testosterone. Let's try to dispel the myth together, but first watch this video on the development of the newborn.
Tachipine in pregnancy: is it safe?
Tachipirina is one of the safest drugs in pregnancy, it can be taken without risk and without too many worries, especially indicated when you have a high fever or some joint pain. C "it must be said that in recent years some studies have raised the hypothesis that taking this drug during the 9 months of waiting could involve some risk for the fetus, in particular the problem would be related to male fetuses.
Specifically, it would be the possibility that paracetamol inhibits the normal production of testosterone, the sex hormone typical of males, and this in the long run could result in an increased risk of infertility or some forms of cancer.
But how are things really? Should you worry? Do the general indications for taking paracetamol during pregnancy remain valid or does something change?
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Can I take tachipirina when pregnant?
Despite the results of this study, paracetamol is considered safe in pregnancy and is the drug to choose always as an antipyretic (to lower fever) and analgesic, but obviously it should be taken only when needed, considering the minimum dose and the shortest possible time. in order to be absolutely harmless to the baby she is carrying.
Unless there are personal contraindications such as a "known allergy to the active ingredient, the expectant mother can safely take tachipirina during pregnancy if she has a high fever or severe pain.
Risks and benefits of tachipirina in pregnancy
As a general rule that also applies to tachipirina in pregnancy, we should remember to take drugs only when there is really a need and not so frequently. Often, however, at the slightest sign of discomfort we already prefer to take something that makes us feel better. during gestation, a frequent and disproportionate use of drugs of all kinds is absolutely to be avoided. A prime example is fever: up to 38 ° you could do without, but many take tachipirina already when the thermometer marks 37.5 ° .
We must consider that even the safest drugs can have some minimal or rare side effects, because zero risk does not exist, and for this reason a "careful evaluation of the relationship between risks and benefits must be carried out on a case by case basis.
In addition to what has already been mentioned, namely that paracetamol could inhibit the production of testosterone with serious consequences for male children, it would seem that the drug can accentuate situations of asthma and ADHD, attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder.
There is no solid proof of this, but only a few studies that have still yielded highly questionable results. Consequently we want to reiterate that tachipirina in pregnancy continues to be safe, especially if taken only when it is really needed, without ever exceeding the recommended dose and above all avoiding a "prolonged intake.
How to take tachipirina in pregnancy: doses and timing
As a general indication, tachipirina can be taken for a maximum of 3 grams within 24 hours. If for various reasons the dose is higher, it is necessary to immediately contact a doctor who will investigate. The more serious risk, if you go beyond the 5 grams of paracetamol in a day, affects the liver, which could be compromised.
Regarding pregnancy, although the drug can cross the placental barrier, if the daily doses are strictly adhered to, tachipirina is an analgesic drug suitable for use during pregnancy. Paracetamol is commercially available in 500 mg or 1000 mg format and the tablets can be ingested up to 3 per day with an interval between the different doses of not less than 4 hours. The advice we give you, especially if you are pregnant, is to ask your doctor for advice.
Tachipirina in pregnancy in the 1st and 2nd trimester
As we have seen so far, tachipirina in pregnancy is one of the drugs that can be taken with greater safety. According to some studies and tests recently conducted on samples of pregnant women who took paracetamol in the period between the 1st and 2nd trimester of pregnancy, an increased risk of abdominal wall problems was found in newborns exposed to combinations of analgesic substances. However, these are provisional results, which therefore should not be taken literally. In any case, if you are pregnant and you realize you need an analgesic, contact your doctor also and above all to investigate the causes of the malaise.
Tachipirina in pregnancy: what happens in the 2nd and 3rd trimester?
In another case, it was found that if a pregnant woman takes tachipirine between the 2nd and 3rd trimester of gestation, there may be an increased risk of asthma in babies. Also in this case not everyone agrees with this type of research conducted, and the final data are absolutely provisional and unreliable. Other more recent studies have instead found a correlation between the prolonged intake of tachipirina in pregnancy (28 days or more) and the alteration of the psychomotor or behavioral development of children with manifestation of hyperactivity, attention deficit disorder, etc ...
Tachipirina in pregnancy and lactation
Can taking tachipirina during breastfeeding harm the baby? The rule is always the same: if you stick to the therapeutic doses recommended or suggested by the doctor, the drug will be safe even during the delicate phase of breastfeeding. What you must pay attention to as a precaution, is the administration of the painkiller at the same time as other drugs such as aspirin and ibuprofen. All these active ingredients should not be taken starting from the 28-30th week of pregnancy because they could have some harmful side effects for fetal circulation.
Tachipirina in pregnancy and fertility
Recent research has concluded that paracetamol (Tachipirina, Efferalgan, etc.) could compromise the future fertility of female offspring if the mother takes it during pregnancy. But how much is there of truth in all this? At the moment this hypothesis does not find certain supports and therefore doctors and gynecologists continue to recommend tachipirina as a safe drug even in pregnancy.
And what do we know about the fertility of male fetuses? Also in this case the researchers call for caution: it would be useless to easy conclusions by demonizing a drug that in various clinical situations turns out to be effective and safe.
Does tachipirina lead to language delay in pregnancy?
The intake of paracetamol during pregnancy can delay language development in children (especially in sons), but will this really be the case? Again we are reporting the results of a study that would seem to confirm this assumption. In fact, during a tests with children born to mothers who often resorted to analgesic and antipyretic drugs during pregnancy, showed a reduction in IQ and greater communication problems.
An important aspect to take into consideration is that the increased risk seems to be directly proportional to the duration of exposure: that is, if you cannot help but take paracetamol during pregnancy, you should at least limit pharmacological treatment to the bare minimum.
Paracetamol and autism: is there a connection?
As we have seen so far, there are many assumptions that are made about the use of tachipirina in pregnancy. If for some the unreliability is immediately evident, for others it is good to deepen and broaden the studies. Before concluding this article, we also want to report the results of a study that sees a correlation between autism and the use of acetaminophen.
A sample of mothers with their children was involved and as a first step they had to answer questions about the use of tachipirina. In this way it was possible to divide them into 3 groups:
- women who had never taken acetaminophen during pregnancy
- women who had occasionally used tachipirina during pregnancy
- women who, especially in the early period of pregnancy, had taken paracetamol every day.
At this point, the children were evaluated through ad hoc tests and in fact it would seem that those born to mothers who regularly used paracetamol showed signs of autism. We want to clarify that the doctors involved were not able to delineate a real connection between the two, so once again this is information to be taken with caution.
