President Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that the FDA will tell doctors that acetaminophen use during pregnancy increases the risk of autism in children. There is no proven link between the two.
“I want to say it like it is — don’t take Tylenol. Don’t take it,” Trump said. “Fight like hell not to take it.”
Acetaminophen, a common ingredient in Tylenol, has been deemed the safest pain reliever and fever reducer for pregnant women for decades. Other fever reducing drugs like ibuprofen and aspirin can cause congenital defects and complications in babies if taken often.
“Over a decade of rigorous research, endorsed by leading medical professionals and global health regulators confirms there is no credible evidence linking acetaminophen to autism,” said a spokesperson for Kenvue, the company that manufactures Tylenol.
Trump cited an analysis of scientific studies in which the authors later said there wasn’t any evidence that acetaminophen causes autism.
Instead, the authors said their review warranted caution about the long-term use of acetaminophen while pregnant. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the CDC already recommend that acetaminophen should only be taken by pregnant people as needed, and only after consulting with their physician.
Another study from 2024 in Sweden of 2.5 million children found a small association between acetaminophen use in pregnancy and autism, but this link disappeared when studying the autistic children’s siblings. The study’s author, Dr. Brian Lee, said the study found genetics play a much larger role than acetaminophen use in causing autism.
Despite Trump and RFK’s warnings over acetaminophen there are no proven connections between the medication and autism.
Author: Payson Davis
Photo courtesy of Michael Conroy, Associated Press
Editor: Hannah Clove
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