PAINKILLERS IN PREGNANCY

PAINKILLERS IN PREGNANCY CAN MAKE SONS INFERTILE

Drugs Tied To Rise in Male Reproductive Disorders

Painkillers taken by pregnant women could expose their unborn sons to risk of infertility researchers say.

Prolonged to use of medicines such as paracetamol, aspirin and ibuprofen may harm the development of boys’ sexual organs.

Around half of women take over-the-counter painkillers during pregnancy, usually for head-aches, according to the journal Human Reproduction. But using these drugs may increase the risk of boys having undescented testicles, which can lead to poor sperm quality and testicular cancer in later life, reports the Daily Mail.

Scientists believe the painkillers may be behind the increase in male reproductive disorders in recent decades, along with exposure of fetuses to chemicals in the environment known as endocrine or hormone disruptive.

Women who used more than one type of painkillers simultaneously at any time while pregnant increased the risk seven-fold, the study said. But the most vulnerable stage is when a woman is between four and six months pregnant. During that time, taking one painkiller doubled the risk overall, when compared to women who did not consume these medicines.

Paracetamol doubled the risk, while ibuprofen or aspirin increased it four-fold. And using two painkillers together during this period increased the risk 16 fold, according to the study.

Henrik Leffers, senior scientist Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen, Denmark, who led the research, said mild painkillers acted as hormone disruptive, intensifying low-level exposure to environmental chemicals in the womb. Allan Pacey, of the University of Sheffield said. “I doubt that anyone would have suspected that common painkillers would have these effects”.

Doctors generally say women should avoid taking medicines while pregnant, but that paracetamol, ibuprofen and aspirin are considered safe in some conditions and at certain times.

Other experts said the findings were striking but should be interpreted with caution. “This study adds to the body of evidence about the effect of medicines on fetal development. However, due to study limitations further research is needed to draw firm conclusions about the effect of painkillers on male fertility,” said Neal Patel of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. Allan Pacey of Britain’s Sheffield University said the findings were “somewhat alarming”.

USE OF COMMON PAINKILLERS LIKE ASPIRIN & IBUPROFEN DURING PREGNANCY POSES HEALTH RISK TO BABY BOYS, SAYS A STUDY.