Hong Kong Study Finds No Autism, ADHD Link in 124,333 Siblings Exposed to Paracetamol

3 articles · Updated · SBS News · Jul 1

124,333 siblings in Hong Kong showed no higher autism or ADHD risk when one pregnancy involved paracetamol exposure and another did not.
Researchers used linked public health records from more than 700,000 mother-child pairs between 2001 and 2023, then narrowed the sample to siblings to better control for genetics and socioeconomic factors.
About 43% of pregnancies in the broader dataset involved dispensed painkillers, though the team said dispensing does not always mean the drug was actually taken and some private or over-the-counter use was not captured.
The findings add to evidence against 2025 claims by Donald Trump and later comments by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., which Australian health officials warned could deter pregnant women from treating pain or fever when clinically needed.

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