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Low neurodevelopmental performance and behavioural/emotional problems at 24 and 48 months in Brazilian children exposed to acetaminophen during foetal development
Author(s) -
TovoRodrigues Luciana,
Carpena Marina Xavier,
MartinsSilva Thais,
Santos Iná S.,
Anselmi Luciana,
Barros Aluísio J. D.,
Barros Fernando C.,
Bertoldi Andréa D.,
Matijasevich Alicia
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
paediatric and perinatal epidemiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.667
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1365-3016
pISSN - 0269-5022
DOI - 10.1111/ppe.12649
Subject(s) - cbcl , child behavior checklist , medicine , acetaminophen , population , poisson regression , child development , pregnancy , clinical psychology , pediatrics , psychiatry , anesthesia , environmental health , biology , genetics
Background Several studies have reported that there is an association between developmental and emotional/behavioural problems in children exposed to acetaminophen during foetal development. However, few studies have focused on development and behavioural outcomes in early life. Objectives To test the association between prenatal exposure to acetaminophen and low neurodevelopmental performance at 24 months and behavioural/emotional problems at 48 months of life. Methods We used data from the 2004 Pelotas Birth Cohort, a population‐based longitudinal prospective study. Neurodevelopment was evaluated at 24 months using Battelle's Developmental Inventory (BDI) (n = 3737). We assessed global function as well as each domain (personal‐social, adaptative, motor, cognitive, and communication). Behavioural/emotional problems were assessed at 48 months using the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) (n = 3624). We used the CBCL total, externalising, and internalising symptomatology and individual subscales (withdrawn, somatic complaints, anxious/depressed, social problems, cognitive problems, attention problems, aggressive behaviour, and rule‐breaking behaviour). Acetaminophen use during pregnancy was retrospectively assessed at the perinatal follow‐up. Poisson regression and multiple linear regression analyses were used to test the association, adjusting for several family and maternal sociodemographic and health factors, medication use during pregnancy, and the sex of the child. Results Acetaminophen exposure during prenatal development was not associated with low neurodevelopmental performance at 24 months assessed using the BDI or to emotional and behavioural problems assessed at 48 months using the CBCL in the adjusted models. Conclusions We cannot confirm the existence of an association between acetaminophen used during pregnancy and low neurodevelopmental performance at 24 months and emotional/behavioural problems at 48 months of life based on the present results.