Extended and frequent use of paracetamol by pregnant women poses a risk to unborn baby boys as researchers have found that prolonged exposure to acetaminophen reduces testosterone production by the human fetal testis, which could eventually lead to reproductive disorders in male babies later on in their lives.
Researchers note in the paper published in journal Science Translational Medicine, researchers have noted that most common male reproductive disorders are linked to lower testosterone exposure in fetal life, but the factors responsible for suppressing fetal testosterone are still largely unknown.
Testosterone, produced in the testicles, is crucial for life-long male health. Reduced exposure to the hormone in the womb has been linked to an increased risk of infertility, testicular cancer and undescended testicles.
In a bid to find out acetaminophen affects fetal testosterone production, researchers used a validated xenograft model to expose human fetal testes to clinically relevant doses and regimens of acetaminophen. These grafts have been shown to mimic how the developing testes grow and function during pregnancy.
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Scientists gave the mice a typical daily dose of paracetamol – over a period of either 24 hours or seven days. They measured the amount of testosterone produced by the human tissue an hour after the final dose of paracetamol.
“Our results suggest that protracted use of acetaminophen (1 week) may suppress fetal testosterone production, which could have adverse consequences”, researchers note in the paper.
They found there was no effect on testosterone production following 24 hours of paracetamol treatment. After seven days of exposure, however, the amount of testosterone was reduced by 45 per cent. The team – from the University’s MRC Centre for Reproductive Health – say further research is required to establish the mechanism by which paracetamol might have this effect.
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Dr Rod Mitchell, Wellcome Trust Intermediate Clinical Research Fellow, University of Edinburgh, said: “We would advise that pregnant women should follow current guidance that the painkiller be taken at the lowest effective dose for the shortest possible time.”
