The Trump administration has taken a sharp turn from decades of medical consensus on pregnancy care.
At a Monday press conference, President Trump advanced an unfounded claim that acetaminophen — better known as Tylenol — is linked to autism, a complex developmental condition that affects communication, behavior, and sensory processing. He cautioned that pregnant women should only use the drug in rare cases, like a high fever, or “if you can’t tough it out.”
Kenvue, which makes Tylenol, quickly pushed back, saying studies show acetaminophen does not cause autism and that it “strongly disagrees with any suggestion otherwise.”
The latest announcement is part of a broader push. Since taking office, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made autism a central focus, floating theories about its cause that range from synthetic food dyes to vaccines — and now, everyday painkillers like Tylenol.
So what does the science actually show? Here’s what the research says, and what experts have told us.
Should pregnant women continue to take Tylenol?
Tylenol is one of the few over-the-counter pain relievers obstetricians consider safe during pregnancy, since alternatives like ibuprofen have been linked to risks such as miscarriage, heart defects, and kidney problems in growing babies. But Trump said the Food and Drug Administration will begin updating Tylenol’s label and notifying doctors that the drug “can be associated with a very increased risk of autism.” The agency is also moving to approve leucovorin — a cancer drug — as a treatment for children with “cerebral folate deficiency and autistic symptoms,” though officials stressed it is not a cure.
Still, leading medical groups aren’t backing that move. The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine — which represents more than 6,500 specialists who care for high-risk pregnancies — continues to recommend acetaminophen as safe for treating pain and fever during pregnancy.
“At this time, the weight of scientific evidence that acetaminophen use during pregnancy causes an increased risk for autism or ADHD is simply inconclusive,” said SMFM President Sindhu K. Srinivas, MD, in a statement.
The group also warns that leaving fever or pain untreated, especially in the first trimester, can pose serious risks, including birth defects, and premature birth.
Other medical groups have echoed that view. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) said its guidance hasn’t changed.
“Patients should not be frightened away from the many benefits of acetaminophen,” it said in a statement. “However, as always, any medication taken during pregnancy should be used only as needed, in moderation, and after the pregnant patient has consulted with their doctor.”
ACOG’s statement came in direct response to a recent consensus in Nature Reviews Endocrinology that raised concerns about prenatal acetaminophen use and potential risks to fetal development. The group pushed back, emphasizing that there’s still “no clear evidence that proves a direct relationship between the prudent use of acetaminophen during any trimester and fetal developmental issues.”
What does the research on Tylenol and autism show?
Despite decades of research, scientists still haven’t identified a single cause of autism. Most believe genetics play a central role, potentially interacting with environmental factors.
Some studies have looked at whether acetaminophen use during pregnancy could be one of those factors. A few smaller ones — including a 2019 paper in JAMA Psychiatry — hinted at a possible link to autism and ADHD. But experts caution the evidence is weak. “The evidence was really mixed, and the effects were really small,” said David Mandell, a psychiatry professor at the University of Pennsylvania, in Scientific American earlier this month.
Larger, more rigorous studies paint a different picture. The biggest to date — a U.S.-Swedish project funded by the NIH — found no increased risk. Long before the 2024 study was published, a U.S. District Court had echoed that conclusion in a product liability case.
That said, not everyone is convinced the issue is settled. Harvard public health dean Andrea Baccarelli, MD, PhD, told Katie Couric Media that his NIH-funded team reviewed 46 studies and found evidence that prolonged use — particularly four weeks or more — was associated with a higher incidence of neurodevelopmental disorders in children. Animal studies, he noted, suggest a biological mechanism that makes the risk plausible, though more research is needed to prove causation.
For now, Baccarelli isn’t calling for an outright ban, but for caution. Acetaminophen remains the only approved option for fever and pain relief during pregnancy — and untreated fever itself can be dangerous. His advice: Take the lowest effective dose, for the shortest time needed, and always consult a doctor.
“Based on existing evidence, I believe that caution about acetaminophen use during pregnancy — especially heavy or prolonged use — is warranted,” he said.
For more, Katie sat down with epidemiologist Dr. Katelyn Jetelina to get her insight on Trump’s recent announcement and advice for parents below.
