Medical experts have condemned Donald Trump's warning that pregnant women should avoid taking Tylenol (paracetamol), baselessly linking the painkiller to a rise in autism. The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) have endorsed acetaminophen use during pregnancy, calling Trump's suggestion 'highly concerning' and 'irresponsible'.
ACOG president Steven Fleischman stated that claims linking acetaminophen to autism send a harmful and confusing message to pregnant patients who may need the medicine. Health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr echoed Trump's stance, urging physicians to prescribe the lowest effective dose for the shortest duration.
The British health regulator MHRA confirmed on Monday there remains no evidence linking paracetamol use during pregnancy with autism, a view backed by Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration. A Swedish study of 2.4 million births published in 2024 found no relationship between paracetamol exposure in utero and autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability.
Dr Monique Botha, associate professor at Durham University, said she is 'exceptionally confident' no causal relationship exists. The US Food and Drug Administration also approved leucovorin for autistic children, though the American Psychiatric Association cautioned that more research is needed before it is considered an appropriate treatment.
