Donald Trump has announced that pregnant women should significantly limit their use of acetaminophen, sold under the brand name Tylenol, claiming it raises the risk of autism. However, this assertion is not backed by scientific evidence. Research into the link between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and autism has not established a causal relationship, and medical experts agree that the rising diagnoses of autism cannot be attributed to a single cause.
Acetaminophen is commonly used to treat fever and pain during pregnancy. The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine warns that leaving these conditions untreated can pose significant risks to both maternal and infant health. For instance, untreated fevers may lead to miscarriage, birth defects, or premature birth.
Trump's announcement aligns with the views of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, who has a history of making unsubstantiated claims about autism. It also reflects a broader administration trend that valorises 'natural' pregnancy and motherhood, often at the expense of proven medical interventions. The administration has previously taken steps to limit pregnant women's access to Covid vaccines and antidepressants, despite medical consensus that the benefits of these treatments generally outweigh the risks.
In May, Kennedy announced that the CDC would no longer recommend Covid vaccination for healthy pregnant women. In the summer, the FDA held a panel on antidepressant use during pregnancy, predominantly staffed by sceptics of antidepressants, which emphasised the risks of taking such medication during pregnancy. One panellist, psychologist Roger McFillin, questioned whether depression is a meaningful diagnosis, suggesting that intense emotions during pregnancy might be 'gifts' rather than symptoms of disease.
However, mental health conditions contribute to nearly a third of all pregnancy-related deaths in the US, according to a 2025 CDC report. Covid also poses serious dangers: a 2021 study found that pregnant women who contracted the virus were 20 times more likely to die than those who did not. The administration's stance on these issues, along with its promotion of 'restorative reproductive medicine' as an alternative to IVF, has been criticised as an 'appeal to nature' fallacy that may undermine women's health and safety.
