Crystal Dike
US President Donald Trump has urged doctors not to prescribe Tylenol to pregnant women, citing a link between the pain reliever and autism — a claim widely rejected by medical experts.
Speaking in the Oval Office on Monday, Trump said Tylenol, also known as paracetamol, “is no good” and told pregnant women to “fight like hell” to only use it in cases of extreme fever.
The comments immediately drew criticism. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said the claim “is not backed by the full body of scientific evidence and dangerously simplifies the many and complex causes of neurologic challenges in children.” Its president, Dr. Steven Fleischman, stressed that studies have shown “no clear evidence” proving a direct link between acetaminophen use in pregnancy and developmental issues.
UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting also dismissed the remarks, saying: “I trust doctors over President Trump, frankly, on this.”
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in guidance issued the same day, struck a milder tone. While acknowledging that some studies suggest an association between acetaminophen and autism, it said “a causal relationship has not been established” and emphasized that acetaminophen remains the safest over-the-counter painkiller for pregnant women.
Tylenol’s maker, Kenvue, said it was “deeply concerned” by the president’s comments, insisting that “the science clearly shows that taking acetaminophen does not cause autism.”
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., appearing alongside Trump, announced that the FDA would begin the process of adding a safety label to Tylenol and launch a public health campaign. He also claimed the agency would approve leucovorin — an older drug used in chemotherapy — for children with autism. FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said approval would be based on early research suggesting the drug may help children with folate deficiencies, though experts cautioned the evidence remains preliminary.
Trump described autism as a “horrible crisis” on Monday, echoing past remarks he has made about vaccines and other unsubstantiated medical links.
Autism diagnoses have risen sharply in recent decades, reaching 2.77% of US eight-year-olds by 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Scientists attribute the increase largely to greater awareness, broader definitions, and a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
In August, a review led by Harvard University’s Chan School of Public Health suggested a possible link between Tylenol use in pregnancy and neurodevelopmental disorders, with 27 of 46 studies pointing to some association. However, a separate study published in 2024, analyzing 2.4 million children born in Sweden between 1995 and 2019, found no connection.
The UK’s National Autistic Society condemned Trump’s remarks as “irresponsible,” warning that misinformation “risks undermining decades of research by respected experts in the field.”
For some expectant mothers, the controversy has caused alarm. “This announcement, if made without the proper context, would worry a lot of other people as well,” said Haley Drenon, a 29-year-old from Austin, Texas, who took Tylenol during her first trimester.
Despite Trump and Kennedy’s claims, most medical authorities maintain that paracetamol remains the safest option for managing fever and pain during pregnancy.