By Dr. Liji Thomas, MD Reviewed by Lauren Hardaker Jan 21 2026 Amid heated public debate, the most robust evidence to date shows that using paracetamol as directed during pregnancy is not linked to adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes, reinforcing current clinical guidance. Study: Prenatal paracetamol exposure and child neurodevelopment: a systematic review and meta-analysis . Image credit: SNeG17/Shutterstock.com  Paracetamol is the leading pain-relieving and fever-lowering drug used in