No pain no gain? Analgesics during pregnancy may cause male infertility

Use of two or more common OTC painkillers during pregnancy may increase the risk of cryptorchidism (undescended testicles) in male infants, according to a study published in yesterday’s issue of Human Reproduction. The researchers asked 834 Danish and 1,463 Finnish women about their use of medication during pregnancy. They found that the sons of women who used two or more analgesics, such as paracetamol (acetaminophen), aspirin, and ibuprofen, simultaneously during pregnancy were seven times more likely to be born with cryptorchidism — a risk factor for male infertility and testicular cancer — compared to those whose mothers did not take any pain medications. In particular, taking multiple pain relievers during the second trimester led to a 16-fold increased risk of having a male infant with cryptorchidism.

While ACSH's Dr. Gilbert Ross does not buy into the myth popularized by chemophobic activists that chemical exposure has led to decreased “sperm quality” or lowered sperm counts, he does not discount this study. “With such a high relative risk, it should definitely spur larger studies on different populations. Since it is not a prospective double-blind study, it shouldn’t be taken as the last word until confirmed.”