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Doctors said paracetamol has a long safety record and remains the first choice for managing fever and body pain in expectant and nursing mothers
Leading medical societies and regulators across the world have strongly defended acetaminophen or paracetamol’s safety profile during pregnancy.
A remark from US President Donald Trump, linking paracetamol to autism and pregnancy risks, has stirred anxiety among expectant mothers worldwide, including in India. But leading Indian doctors have moved quickly to calm fears, stressing there is no scientific evidence behind the claim and that paracetamol remains one of the safest medicines during pregnancy.
On September 22, Trump advised pregnant women to “fight like hell” not to use Tylenol, suggesting that acetaminophen is a “very big factor” in autism and claimed that areas without access to the medication have “no autism”.
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Paracetamol, known globally as brand Tylenol or the generic version of acetaminophen, is the most widely used drug for managing fever and body pain in pregnant women. Experts say its safety record stretches across decades and millions of prescriptions, making it the first line of treatment in obstetric practice.
India’s largest network of gynaecologists and obstetricians, the Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI), dismissed Trump’s claim. Its president, Dr Sunita Tandulwadkar, told News18 that no credible research has ever established a link between paracetamol and autism. “I represent India’s largest body dealing with pregnant women, and I can tell you I have never heard or read any strong and published study that gave clear linkages of paracetamol with autism or related side effects,” she said.
FOGSI represents 286 member societies and more than 45,000 individual members across the country. She added that decades of clinical experience also show no such evidence. “There is not even a single scientific evidence to prove this claim, only indirect or weak evidence that we haven’t seen in clinical practice for several decades now.”
Fertility specialist Dr Tara Fotedar said even safe drugs must be used judiciously. “Paracetamol is our go-to drug when a pregnant woman is unwell with fever or body pain. And if we don’t treat that fever, then it may harm the unborn child,” she said, urging women not to panic but use the drug under medical supervision.
While obstetricians are clear that paracetamol continues to be safe for pregnant women, paediatric experts too say there is no cause for alarm.
Dr Ramesh Agarwal, professor and head of the department of neonatology at AIIMS, New Delhi, said there was no reason for alarm. “There is no scientific basis to the claims linking paracetamol with autism or any other significant adverse effects on an unborn baby.”
He stressed that paracetamol has a long safety record. “For decades, paracetamol has been regarded as one of the safest medicines for use during pregnancy and lactation. It remains the first choice for managing fever and body pain in expectant and nursing mothers.”
Agarwal added that weak associations should not be mistaken for proof. “The claims are not backed by good science. There is no reason to panic, and pregnant or expectant women can use paracetamol as advised by their physicians.”
Tandulwadkar from FOGSI, who heads the department of obstetrics and gynaecology at Ruby Hall Clinic, Pune, criticised the source of the claim. “If there was any new evidence coming, the World Health Organisation, the American College of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians, or other regulatory agencies, including the UK’s MHRA, would have highlighted it. It’s not a President or political figure’s job to announce health-related claims which are weakly backed. We should have high-quality evidence before making such claims and that too via a reputed medical journal.”
What do global medical authorities say?
Leading medical societies and regulators across the world have strongly defended acetaminophen or paracetamol’s safety profile during pregnancy.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (ACOG) said acetaminophen “plays an important—and safe—role in the well-being of pregnant women”, emphasising that not a single reputable study has ever shown the drug, in any trimester, to cause neurodevelopmental disorders in children. The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) has also reiterated that the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy has not been shown to cause or increase the risk of autism or other neurobehavioral problems in children.
In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a measured response acknowledging ongoing scientific debate, but Commissioner Marty Makary underlined that “a causal relationship has not been established and there are contrary studies in the scientific literature”.
Also, recent large-scale studies have dismissed fears. A 2024 study published in a reputed medical journal, Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), involving more than 2.4 million Swedish children, found that while population-based models suggested slight associations, sibling-controlled analyses — considered the gold standard for eliminating genetic and family confounding factors — showed no significant link between acetaminophen use and autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability. Similarly, a Japanese study of over 200,000 children published in 2025 found “no meaningful correlation” between acetaminophen use and autism.
About the Author
Himani Chandna, Associate Editor at CNN News18, specialises in healthcare and pharmaceuticals. With firsthand insights into India’s COVID-19 battle, she brings a seasoned perspective. She is particularly pass…Read More
Himani Chandna, Associate Editor at CNN News18, specialises in healthcare and pharmaceuticals. With firsthand insights into India’s COVID-19 battle, she brings a seasoned perspective. She is particularly pass… Read More
September 24, 2025, 16:03 IST
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