Prenatal exposure to acetaminophen and respiratory symptoms in the first year of life.
BACKGROUND
Prevalence of asthma in developed countries increased between the 1970s and the 1990s. One factor that might contribute to the trends in asthma is the increased use of acetaminophen vs aspirin in children and pregnant women.


OBJECTIVE
To examine relationships between in utero exposure to acetaminophen and incidence of respiratory symptoms in the first year of life.


METHODS
A total of 345 women were recruited in the first trimester of pregnancy and followed up with their children through the first year of life. Use of acetaminophen in pregnancy was determined by questionnaire and related to incidence of respiratory symptoms.


RESULTS
Use of acetaminophen in middle to late but not early pregnancy was significantly related to wheezing (odd ratio, 1.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-3.0) and to wheezing that disturbed sleep (odds ratio, 2.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-3.8) in the first year of life after control for potential confounders.


CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests that use of acetaminophen in middle to late but not early pregnancy may be related to respiratory symptoms in the first year of life. Additional follow-up will examine relationships of maternal and early childhood use of acetaminophen with incidence of asthma at ages 3 to 5 years, when asthma diagnosis is more firmly established.
Persky
Victoria
V
Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, The University of Illinois, Chicago School of Public Health, Chicago, Illinois 60612, USA. vwpersky@uic.edu
Piorkowski
Julie
J
Hernandez
Eva
E
Chavez
Noel
N
Wagner-Cassanova
Cynthia
C
Vergara
Carmen
C
Pelzel
Darlene
D
Enriquez
Rachel
R
Gutierrez
Silvia
S
Busso
Adela
A
D000082:Acetaminophen / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic / Q000009:adverse effects; D001249:Asthma / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003371:Cough / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D015995:Prevalence; D012135:Respiratory Sounds / Q000209:etiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution; D000082:Acetaminophen