Meta analyses simultaneously evaluate large numbers of birth cohorts to develop more robust interpretations of available data. Like the birth cohort studies that comprise them, they examine large numbers of mother-child pairs over years and decades to draw reasonable conclusions about the quantitative effects of prenatal exposure to acetaminophen on child development controlling for different environmental, behavioral, and social factors.

Combined European Cohorts

Six different cohorts, totaling 73,881 mother-child pairs

Scientists asked mothers about their acetaminophen use while pregnant and then assessed whether those children have autism based on the Childhood Autism Spectrum Test, the Child Behavior Checklist, and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire between ages 6 and 13. This meta-analysis found about a 20% increase in the chance of having a child with neurodevelopmental issues if they had been exposed to acetaminophen prior to birth. Boys in this cohort were more likely to have autism than girls.