London (England) - Use of mild painkillers such as paracetamol,
aspirin and ibuprofen during pregnancy may partly account for a sharp increase
in male reproductive disorders in recent decades, according to a study. The research found that women who took a
combination of more than one mild analgesic during pregnancy had an increased
risk of giving birth to sons with undescended testicles. The condition, called cryptorchidism, is
known to be a risk factor for poor semen quality and a greater risk of
testicular cancer in later life.
The
researchers from Finland, Denmark and France, who published their
findings in the Human Reproduction
Journal said more studies were
urgently needed and advice to pregnant women on the use of painkillers should
be reconsidered.