BATON ROUGE — A recent study found taking acetaminophen during pregnancy does not increase the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders.

The over-the-counter medication is commonly used for pain relief and fevers.

“This is something that I think is really important for moms and parents to be, just because right now there are not a lot of options out there for women just because this hasn't been very well studied. We want to make sure that we are providing mothers and parents to be with options to control pain and fever during pregnancy because these conditions truly can increase the risks of things like autism and other intellectual disabilities,” OB/GYN Catherine Caponero said.

Acetaminophen is one of the few medications pregnant women can take if they are experiencing pain or a fever. However, some choose not to for fear it could somehow harm the baby.

This new study hopes to set the record straight. Researchers looked at thousands of siblings and found no difference in whether their mom took acetaminophen with one child but not the other while pregnant. They found no link to an increased risk for autism or ADHD.

“The data is very clear that we can provide these medications and that these are safe medications for moms and to not feel that guilt or shame around taking these medications if you need to is really critical. And to know that it's important to keep your own health in line,” Caponero said.

If you are pregnant and unsure of which medications to take or how much, it’s best to consult with your doctor.