Health and Me

Ishita Roy

Tylenol Use In Pregnancy Has No Link With Childhood Autism: Finds New Lancet Study

At a press conference in September 2025, President Donald Trump announced of a connection between the use of <span>Tylenol</span>, a popular pain medicine during pregnancy and <span><a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health/autism">autism</a></span>. The active ingredient acetaminophen, while, many studies, have shown does not have any link with <span>childhood autism</span> if consumed during pregnancy. However, Trump insisted that "They", [read the FDA], "are strongly recommending that women limit Tylenol use during pregnancy unless medically necessary...if you cannot tough it out..."

However, a scientific review of 43 studies on acetaminophen use during pregnancy concluded that there was no evidence that the painkiller increased the risk of autism or any other neurodevelopmental disorders. 

The lead author of the report, Dr Asma Khalil, professor of obstetrics and maternal fetal medicine at St George's Hospital, University of London, in a news briefing said, "We found no clinically important increase in the risk of autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability." The findings were published on Friday in British medical journal The Lancet. 

Dr Khalil said that acetaminophen, which is an active ingredient in Tylenol, remains "the first line treatment that we would recommend if the pregnant women have pain or fever in pregnancy".

Read: <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-news/tylenol-and-autism-trump-announces-link-between-the-two-science-does-not-back-him-article-152876441" data-type="tilCustomLink">Tylenol And Autism: Trump Announces Link Between The Two, Science Does Not Back Him</a>

<h2>What Have Earlier Studies Said About Tylenol Use And Autism? </h2>

Earlier studies too, including one of which is published in American Family Physician in 2014 also noted that during pregnancy most people used acetaminophen, sold under the brand name Tylenol. Acetaminophen is considered the one safe over-the-counter option for pain or fever for pregnant people. Other common pain relief options like ibuprofen or regular-dose-aspirin is available, however, they can pose serious risk in pregnancy and could lead to complications.

 2024 study published in JAMA Network, titled Acetaminophen Use During Pregnancy and Children’s Risk of Autism, ADHD, and Intellectual Disability, there is no risk of autism for mothers who consume the medicine during pregnancy. The study notes: "Acetaminophen use during pregnancy was not associated with children’s risk of autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability in sibling control analyses."

James Cusack, chief executive of Autistica, a UK autism research and campaigning charity in London, who is autistic told Nature: "There is no definitive evidence to suggest that paracetamol use in mothers is a cause of autism, and when you see any associations, they are very, very small. At the heart of this is people trying to look for simple answers to complex solutions.”

Read More: <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-news/trumps-claim-on-linking-tylenol-and-autism-is-unscientific-according-to-doctors-article-152876959" data-type="tilCustomLink">Trump's Claim On Linking Tylenol And Autism Is Unscientific, According To Doctors</a>

Helen Tager-Flusberg, a psychologist who studies autism at Boston University, Massachusetts told Nature, "he better controlled studies are less likely to find even a small risk. And even then, what we're talking about is a minor association. … We do not think that taking acetaminophen is in any way contributing to actually causing autism.”

A study led by Viktor Ahlqvist, an epidemiologist at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm (mentioned above, published in JAMA Network) is considered one of the biggest studies in this subject have also found no such link.

Ahlqvist’s team analyzed data from nearly 2.5 million children born in Sweden between 1995 and 2019, drawing from the nation’s detailed health records. These included acetaminophen prescriptions during pregnancy, self-reported use collected by midwives, and later autism diagnoses in children.

The findings showed autism in about 1.42% of children exposed to acetaminophen prenatally, compared to 1.33% among those not exposed, a difference Ahlqvist described as “very small.”

<h2>Medical Institutions Rejected Trump's <span rel="noindex">Tylenol And Autism</span> Claim: Why Is This Medicine Recommended To Pregnant Women Over Other Painkillers?</h2>

Medical bodies across the world, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, were quick to push back against the president’s remarks. They stressed that doctors already advise pregnant women to use acetaminophen carefully and warned that leaving a fever untreated during pregnancy can pose serious risks to both the mother and the baby.

Because acetaminophen can enter the brain and cross the placenta, researchers have been studying its potential impact on fetal brain development for over a decade. However, reaching clear conclusions has proved challenging.

One major reason is the ethical limits on research involving pregnant women. Randomized controlled trials, considered the gold standard in medical science, have not been carried out in this case, making it harder to establish cause-and-effect relationships.

Another complication is how commonly acetaminophen is used. Many other painkillers are known to be harmful during pregnancy, which is why acetaminophen has long been recommended as the safest first option. Its over-the-counter availability also makes it difficult for researchers to accurately track how much is taken, how often, and at what stage of pregnancy.

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At a press conference in September 2025, President Donald Trump announced of a connection between the use of Tylenol, a popular pain medicine during pregnancy and autism. The active ingredient acetaminophen, while, many studies, have shown does not have any link with childhood autism if consumed during pregnancy. However, Trump insisted that "They", [read the FDA], "are strongly recommending that women limit Tylenol use during pregnancy unless medically necessary...if you cannot tough it out..."However, a scientific review of 43 studies on acetaminophen use during pregnancy concluded that there was no evidence that the painkiller increased the risk of autism or any other neurodevelopmental disorders. The lead author of the report, Dr Asma Khalil, professor of obstetrics and maternal fetal medicine at St George's Hospital, University of London, in a news briefing said, "We found no clinically important increase in the risk of autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability." The findings were published on Friday in British medical journal The Lancet. Dr Khalil said that acetaminophen, which is an active ingredient in Tylenol, remains "the first line treatment that we would recommend if the pregnant women have pain or fever in pregnancy".Read: Tylenol And Autism: Trump Announces Link Between The Two, Science Does Not Back HimWhat Have Earlier Studies Said About Tylenol Use And Autism? Earlier studies too, including one of which is published in American Family Physician in 2014 also noted that during pregnancy most people used acetaminophen, sold under the brand name Tylenol. Acetaminophen is considered the one safe over-the-counter option for pain or fever for pregnant people. Other common pain relief options like ibuprofen or regular-dose-aspirin is available, however, they can pose serious risk in pregnancy and could lead to complications. 2024 study published in JAMA Network, titled Acetaminophen Use During Pregnancy and Children’s Risk of Autism, ADHD, and Intellectual Disability, there is no risk of autism for mothers who consume the medicine during pregnancy. The study notes: "Acetaminophen use during pregnancy was not associated with children’s risk of autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability in sibling control analyses."James Cusack, chief executive of Autistica, a UK autism research and campaigning charity in London, who is autistic told Nature: "There is no definitive evidence to suggest that paracetamol use in mothers is a cause of autism, and when you see any associations, they are very, very small. At the heart of this is people trying to look for simple answers to complex solutions.”Read More: Trump's Claim On Linking Tylenol And Autism Is Unscientific, According To DoctorsHelen Tager-Flusberg, a psychologist who studies autism at Boston University, Massachusetts told Nature, "he better controlled studies are less likely to find even a small risk. And even then, what we're talking about is a minor association. … We do not think that taking acetaminophen is in any way contributing to actually causing autism.”A study led by Viktor Ahlqvist, an epidemiologist at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm (mentioned above, published in JAMA Network) is considered one of the biggest studies in this subject have also found no such link.Ahlqvist’s team analyzed data from nearly 2.5 million children born in Sweden between 1995 and 2019, drawing from the nation’s detailed health records. These included acetaminophen prescriptions during pregnancy, self-reported use collected by midwives, and later autism diagnoses in children.The findings showed autism in about 1.42% of children exposed to acetaminophen prenatally, compared to 1.33% among those not exposed, a difference Ahlqvist described as “very small.”Medical Institutions Rejected Trump's Tylenol And Autism Claim: Why Is This Medicine Recommended To Pregnant Women Over Other Painkillers?Medical bodies across the world, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, were quick to push back against the president’s remarks. They stressed that doctors already advise pregnant women to use acetaminophen carefully and warned that leaving a fever untreated during pregnancy can pose serious risks to both the mother and the baby.Because acetaminophen can enter the brain and cross the placenta, researchers have been studying its potential impact on fetal brain development for over a decade. However, reaching clear conclusions has proved challenging.One major reason is the ethical limits on research involving pregnant women. Randomized controlled trials, considered the gold standard in medical science, have not been carried out in this case, making it harder to establish cause-and-effect relationships.Another complication is how commonly acetaminophen is used. Many other painkillers are known to be harmful during pregnancy, which is why acetaminophen has long been recommended as the safest first option. Its over-the-counter availability also makes it difficult for researchers to accurately track how much is taken, how often, and at what stage of pregnancy.