December 15, 2021

BRENTWOOD, TN – The non-profit Organization of Teratology Information Specialists (OTIS) and its public-facing service, MotherToBaby, respond to “misleading” new review regarding maternal paracetamol (also known as acetaminophen) use. The widely studied drug is healthcare providers’ recommended choice for the treatment of pain during pregnancy.

The response from the world’s leading organization on exposures during pregnancy and breastfeeding was drafted after a new review receiving widespread media attention that was published in Nature Reviews Endocrinology suggested pregnant women should not use paracetamol or products containing paracetamol at all. Sura Alwan, MSc, PhD, corresponding author of the organization’s response said such a recommendation can have serious repercussions. “These studies suffer from serious methodological problems,” explained Alwan. “Although the authors acknowledge the vast limitations of past studies on this subject, they do not consider the clinical consequences that will likely result from their premature precautionary statements. There are many examples in which undertreatment of maternal illnesses due to medication hesitancy poses a far greater risk to the fetus and mother than the exposure to the medication,” she added.

More than 50 members of OTIS and its partner organizations, which consist of scientists, clinicians, epidemiologists, and teratology information specialists, signed on to support the response. To read it in its entirety, please visit https://www.nature.com/articles/s41574-021-00606-x

More about OTIS and MotherToBaby

The Organization of Teratology Information Specialists (OTIS) is a professional scientific society made up of individuals engaged in assessing and evaluating risks to pregnancy and breastfeeding from environmental exposures. Members include, but are not limited to, specialists in the fields of obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, genetics, dysmorphology, perinatal epidemiology, teratology, behavioral teratology, pharmacy, genetic counseling, nursing, midwifery, maternal and child health, public health, and includes experts that provide MotherToBaby services and researchers that conduct MotherToBaby Pregnancy Studies. MotherToBaby is a suggested resource by many federal agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). To learn more about MotherToBaby and OTIS, please visit www.MotherToBaby.org.  

***Media Contact: Nicole Chavez, nchavez@mothertobaby.org, 619-368-3259.

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