Introduction
Mild analgesics, including paracetamol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), are commonly used during pregnancy, and concerns have been raised regarding potential long-term neurodevelopmental effects. We examined associations between the timing and duration of prenatal analgesic use and offspring language and communication outcomes.
Methods
We used data from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa), linked to national health registries. Paracetamol and NSAID use were evaluated according to timing (early, mid and late) and duration (≤27 and ≥28 days). Language outcomes were assessed at ages 5 and 8 years and through registry-recorded developmental speech and language disorders. Analyses addressed confounding by indication, time-varying confounding, and shared familial factors.
Results
Overall, NSAID use was not associated with language outcomes. Some associations were observed for mid- and late-pregnancy paracetamol use and for NSAIDs and paracetamol use ≤27 days, but these were inconsistent across outcomes and ages. Associations for paracetamol duration were not supported in sibling-comparison analyses, and no consistent associations were observed for registry-recorded language disorders.
Conclusion
Prenatal paracetamol and NSAID use was not consistently associated with poorer offspring language and communication outcomes.