Efficacia e sicurezza di paracetamolo nei primi 1.000 giorni di vita: opinione di esperti

Paracetamol (also known as acetaminophen or N-acetyl-p-aminophenol, APAP) is the most widely used antipyretic and analgesic during pregnancy and early childhood, although its exact mechanism of action remains not fully understood. Several publications have suggested a potential association with adverse neurological or behavioural outcomes in foetal or neonatal development; however, these studies were limited by significant confounding factors. More recently, a nationwide sibling-controlled study has definitively refuted this hypothesis. Similarly, some evidence supports both the safety and the efficacy of paracetamol use in early childhood. Based on the available literature and their own clinical experience, a multidisciplinary panel of Italian experts developed a position paper addressing the safety of paracetamol exposure during pregnancy, the neonatal period and the first 1,000 days of life. Current evidence and the board’s clinical experience indicate that paracetamol is safe and should be considered the first-choice treatment in these stages of life, as highlighted and endorsed by the guidelines of leading scientific societies.