In Utero Exposure to Acetaminophen

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss various ideas about what causes the condition. Here is just a partial list of correlates, risk factors, and possible causes that have been the subject of serious studies:

• Pesticides;
• Air pollution and proximity to freeways;
• Maternal thyroid issues;
• Autoimmune disorders;
• Induced labor;
• Preterm birth;
• Fever;  
• Birth by cesarean section;
• Anesthesia during cesarean sections;
• Maternal and paternal obesity;
• Maternal diabetes;
• Maternal and paternal age;
• Maternal post-traumatic stress disorder;
• Smoking during pregnancy;
• Antidepressant use during pregnancy;
• Polycystic ovary syndrome;
• Infant opioid withdrawal;
• Zinc deficiency;
• Processed foods;
• Maternal occupational exposure to solvents;
• Estrogen in the womb;
• Morning sickness;
• Sulfate deficiency;
• Congenital heart disease;
• Insufficient placental allopregnanolone.

Yuelong Ji and colleagues have an article at JAMA Psychiatry titled "Association of Cord Plasma Biomarkers of In Utero Acetaminophen Exposure With Risk of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder in Childhood"

Question What is the association between cord plasma biomarkers of in utero acetaminophen exposure and risk of childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder?

Findings In this cohort study of 996 mother-infant dyads from the Boston Birth Cohort, cord plasma biomarkers of fetal exposure to acetaminophen were associated with significantly increased risk of childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder.

Meaning These findings suggest in utero exposure to acetaminophen is associated with increased risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder in children and warrant additional investigations.