▼ Summary
– A large new study found no link between autism and Tylenol use during pregnancy, contradicting claims by President Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
– Trump and Kennedy stated without clear evidence that acetaminophen taken during pregnancy causes autism, and Trump advised pregnant people to “tough it out” instead.
– Medical organizations warned that untreated fever during pregnancy increases the risk of autism, miscarriage, and birth defects, and that acetaminophen is safe.
– Following Trump’s warning, emergency department use of acetaminophen in pregnant patients fell by 10 percent, and Texas sued Tylenol’s maker.
– The study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, analyzed over 700,000 mother-child pairs in Hong Kong from 2001 to 2023, with 43 percent of children exposed to acetaminophen in utero.
Another major investigation has concluded that acetaminophen use during pregnancy does not raise the risk of autism, directly contradicting warnings issued by President Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a prominent vaccine skeptic.
Back in September, Trump and Kennedy held a press conference where they made unsupported claims that Tylenol, the popular fever and pain medication also known as paracetamol, causes autism in children when taken by pregnant women. During that event, Trump advised pregnant individuals to avoid the drug entirely and instead “tough it out” when dealing with fever or pain.
Medical experts quickly pushed back against that message. They stressed that acetaminophen is considered a safe option for managing fever and discomfort during pregnancy. They also warned that leaving a fever untreated carries known risks, including a higher likelihood of autism in infants, along with complications like miscarriage, birth defects, and preterm delivery. Despite this, the president’s warning had real-world consequences. Texas filed a lawsuit against Tylenol’s manufacturer over the alleged link. Meanwhile, a study published in The Lancet this March found that acetaminophen use among pregnant patients in emergency departments dropped by 10 percent following Trump’s remarks.
The latest research, appearing in JAMA Internal Medicine, examined electronic health records spanning 2001 through 2023. The dataset included over 700,000 mother-child pairs in Hong Kong. Among those pairs, roughly 43 percent of children were exposed to acetaminophen while still in the womb.
(Source: Ars Technica)
