*The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced new safety labeling requirements for acetaminophen products, including Tylenol, amid growing concern that prenatal use may be linked to autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which now affects 3.2% of U.S. children, according to the CDC.
On September 22, President Donald Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. held a White House press conference urging pregnant women to avoid Tylenol unless necessary. “Taking Tylenol is not good—I’ll say it—it’s not good,” Trump said, suggesting a potential connection between prenatal acetaminophen use and autism.
Kennedy advised that if acetaminophen is needed, women should take “the lowest effective dose for the shortest duration.” This marks a dramatic shift in medical guidance, as Tylenol has long been the recommended pain reliever during pregnancy because alternatives like ibuprofen carry known risks of miscarriage and birth defects.
Health Digest reports that scientific research remains divided. A 2024 JAMA study of over two million children found no strong correlation between prenatal acetaminophen exposure and autism. Likewise, a 2025 study published in Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology, which analyzed more than 200,000 children, found no evidence that prenatal acetaminophen exposure causes autism. Alycia Halladay, chief science officer at the Autism Science Foundation, told PBS, “The scientific studies that have been conducted so far do not support the idea that Tylenol causes autism.”
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However, a 2025 Environmental Health review of 47 studies suggested a possible association, and a 2020 JAMA Psychiatry study of nearly 1,000 patient records recommended further investigation into potential links with autism or ADHD. Epidemiologist Viktor Ahlqvist, a co-author of the 2024 JAMA study, cautioned, “[we] risk placing blame on mothers and causing more stress, self-blame, and stigma, despite having no evidence to support such claims.”
The debate intensified after a 2017 Tylenol social media post resurfaced in which the company wrote, “We actually don’t recommend using any of our products while pregnant. Thank you for taking the time to voice your concerns today.”
Kenvue, Tylenol’s parent company, now strongly denies any connection, stating, “Sound science clearly shows that taking acetaminophen does not cause autism.”
The FDA also notes that while some studies raise questions, no causal link has been established, and acetaminophen remains the preferred pain reliever for pregnant women when used as directed.
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB.COM: Trump Warns Pregnant Women About Tylenol Use | WATCH
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