Taking paracetamol or other painkillers during pregnancy does not increase the risk of asthma in children, according to a study of almost five lakh women. <br />”<br />”The research, which used preion data on painkillers, supports earlier findings that women taking paracetamol during pregnancy are more likely to have children who develop asthma. <br />”<br />”However, it also suggests that painkillers are not the cause of this increase. Rather, some unidentified factor is linked to use of these drugs and to asthma risk.<br />”<br />”The research, published in the European Respiratory Journal, should give women reassurance to take painkillers during pregnancy when they are prescribed by a doctor.<br />”<span style="color: #222222;"><br />”Seif Shaheen of Queen Mary University of London in the UK was the first scientist to discover a link between paracetamol use during pregnancy and an increase in the risk of asthma in children.&nbsp;</span><br />