Medical Organizations Refute Trump’s Claims That Tylenol Causes Autism
On Monday, President Donald Trump issued a statement on HHS’s efforts to look into the causes of autism, including claims that Tylenol use during pregnancy could cause autism. The announcement states, “Today, the FDA will issue a physician notice and begin the process to initiate a safety label change for acetaminophen (Tylenol and similar products). HHS will launch a nationwide public service campaign to inform families and protect public health”.
During the related press conference, Trump was quoted saying, “Don’t take Tylenol. Don’t take it. Fight like hell not to take it.” These warnings come into direct contradiction with multiple medical groups and associations, who have since responded to the announcement.
We’ve compiled statements from several organizations and researchers, as well as the makers of Tylenol below.
1. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG):
“In more than two decades of research on the use of acetaminophen in pregnancy, not a single reputable study has successfully concluded that the use of acetaminophen in any trimester of pregnancy causes neurodevelopmental disorders in children.
In fact, the two highest-quality studies on this subject—one of which was published in JAMA last year—found no significant associations between use of acetaminophen during pregnancy and children’s risk of autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability.” Read their full statement here.
2. Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM):
“In response to today’s White House press conference announcement, the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) reiterates its recommendation advising both physicians and patients that acetaminophen is an appropriate medication to treat pain and fever during pregnancy.” Read their full statement here.
3. World Health Organization spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic:
“The evidence [linking paracetemol use in pregnancy and autism] remains inconsistent […] This lack of replicability really calls for caution in drawing casual conclusions.”
4. Researcher, Viktor Ahlqvist:
“[The] lead author of the largest scientific study into possible links between paracetamol use during pregnancy and autism, the Trump administration “seemed to have misunderstood the available evidence”. “We do not find support that paracetamol in pregnancy would cause autism,” Ahlqvist said, referring to their study, which looked at 2.5 million pregnancies in Sweden.” Source: Reuters
5. National Autistic Society (UK)
“President Trump and RFK Jr have the power and resources to make a positive difference to autistic people’s lives, enabling the support and understanding they need. We demand that they end this damaging rhetoric and join the movement to create a society that works for autistic people.” Read the full statement here.
6. Kenvue (maker of Tylenol)
“Independent, sound science clearly shows that taking acetaminophen does not cause autism.”
“We strongly disagree with any suggestion otherwise,” the statement continues, highlighting what the company says is the greater health risk for expecting mothers from other conditions if they give up on taking the drug. “Acetaminophen is the safest pain reliever option for pregnant women as needed throughout their entire pregnancy. Without it, women face dangerous choices: suffer through conditions like fever that are potentially harmful to both mom and baby or use riskier alternatives.”
“The facts are that 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,” the company said, adding that it “will continue to explore all options to protect the health interests of American women and children.”
7. The European Medicines Agency:
“Available evidence has found no link between the use of paracetamol during pregnancy and autism.”
