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.