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One study found that women taking paracetamol during pregnancy risk lowering their child's IQ.
Taking this medication is also associated with a higher risk of ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and autism.
Researchers from American universities, including Harvard, reviewed nine studies of 150,000 mothers and babies in total.
Their findings suggest that the balance of hormones in the uterus is impaired by taking paracetamol, also called acetaminophen (APAP).
"Exposure to APAP is so commonplace that the public health consequences of even a modest increase in the risk of adverse neurodevelopment are considerable," the researchers, led by the postdoctoral fellow, warned. Ann Z.Bauer.
Research has linked the use of paracetamol during pregnancy to a lower IQ and to a higher risk of ADHD, autism, and delayed speech
One study found a three-point decrease in IQ among five-year-olds whose mothers took paracetamol to relieve pain without fever.
Other research shows that children exposed to drugs in the uterus have difficulty speaking.
This is not the first time that scientists have found a link between the use of paracetamol and the delay of speech.
In January, a New York study revealed that taking the pain relieving medication during pregnancy delays babies' speech up to six times.
The study reveals that pregnant women who take acetaminophen more than six times in early pregnancy are significantly more likely to have girls with limited vocabulary.
Paracetamol is usually available without a prescription and is the most commonly used medication during pregnancy.
According to US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 65% of pregnant women take this drug when they expect it, and more than 50% of European women, according to the study's authors.
Research this year has shown that common painkillers can increase the risk of ADHD in children by: up to 30% and up to 20% for autism, when they are taken by their mother.
The study, led by Dr. Ilan Matok, of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, analyzed 132,738 mother-child pairs over a period of three to eleven years.
Dr. Matok said, "Our findings suggest an association between prolonged use of acetaminophen and an increased risk of autism and ADHD."
The NHS said women should avoid drugs during pregnancy, especially during the first three months.
They advise that, as with any medication taken during pregnancy, paracetamol should be taken at the lowest effective dose as soon as possible.
Researchers of these latest findings, published in the journal Hormones and Behavior, said: "A longer duration of use of APAP was associated with increased risk.
"Pregnant women should be warned against the blind use of this drug."
As pregnant women are generally excluded from scientific research, the vast majority of drugs have not been adequately studied and the risks to the baby are often misunderstood.
The researchers added, "More studies are needed to elucidate the underlying biological mechanisms and develop safer analgesics."
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