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Donald Trump announced FDA plans to warn about acetaminophen use in pregnancy and autism risk, but experts dispute this link, citing lack of clear evidence and safety of Tylenol.
US President Donald Trump (Image: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images/AFP)
US President Donald Trump on Monday announced that the US Food and Drug Administration will be notifying physicians that the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy “can be associated with a very increased risk of autism”.
“They are strongly recommending that women limit Tylenol (Acetaminophen is Tylenol’s active ingredient) use during pregnancy unless medically necessary,” such as to treat fever, “if you can’t tough it out,” Trump said in in the Oval Office alongside Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr.
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CNN quoted experts as saying that autism is caused by multiple factors, and the science concerning the connection between Tylenol use during pregnancy and autism is not settled.
Meanwhile, Tylenol maker Kenvue has defended the use of the drug in pregnant women.
BBC quoted the owner as saying in a statement: “”We believe independent, sound science clearly shows that taking acetaminophen does not cause autism. We strongly disagree with any suggestion otherwise and are deeply concerned with the health risk this poses for expecting mothers.”
It further said that Acetaminophen is the safest pain reliever option for pregnant women and without it, women will have the choice to either suffer due to fever or use riskier alternatives.
During the announcement on Monday, Kennedy said Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will issue a physicians notice about the potential risk of taking Tylenol during pregnancy.
BBC further quoted him as saying that the FDA will soon approve Leucovorin, a decades-old drug traditionally used to protect cancer patients against toxicity from chemotherapy, to be used as treatment for children with autism.
Meanwhile, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology has said that doctors across the country have consistently identified Tylenol as one of the only safe pain relievers for pregnant women.
“Studies that have been conducted in the past, show no clear evidence that proves a direct relationship between the prudent use of acetaminophen during any trimester and fetal developmental issues,” the group has said.
Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
September 23, 2025, 04:20 IST
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