Growing evidence links the use of paracetamol in pregnancy with effects on the fetus, underlining the need for caution in use of the analgesic and antipyretic as well as more research, an international consensus statement says.

The statement calls for all paracetamol-containing medications to include warnings about the potential risks of prenatal exposure to the drug and for them to be sold only in pharmacies.

But the authors concede its use isn’t entirely avoidable given the lack of alternatives for treating both fever and severe pain.

The US- and Swedish-led team of clinicians, epidemiologists and scientists reviewed studies published from 1995 to 2020 to assess the relationship between paracetamol use during pregnancy and the risk of neurodevelopmental, reproductive and urogenital disorders.