Trump links autism to acetaminophen use during pregnancy, urges pregnant women to avoid pain reliever Tylenol
Trump claimed that taking Tylenol, also known as paracetamol, is “no good” and that pregnant women should avoid it and should only opt for it when they are suffering from extreme fever.
September 23, 2025 06:01 AM IST
First published on: Sep 23, 2025 at 06:01 AM IST
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President Donald Trump speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, in Washington, as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz listen. (AP Photo)
US President Donald Trump on Monday announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will notify physicians not to prescribe pain reliever Tylenol to pregnant women, as he claimed that the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy “can be associated with a very increased risk of autism.”
Trump made the announcement in the Oval Office along with Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. The US president linked acetaminophen usage to autism during pregnancy despite decades of evidence that it’s safe, CNN reported.
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Trump claimed that taking Tylenol, also known as paracetamol, is “no good” and that pregnant women should avoid it and should only opt for it when they are suffering from extreme fever. “They are strongly recommending that women limit Tylenol use during pregnancy unless medically necessary,” such as to treat fever, “if you can’t tough it out,” the US president said.
"Some 40-70% of mothers who have children with autism believe that their child was injured by a vaccine. President Trump believes that we should be listening to these mothers instead of gaslighting and marginalizing them like prior administrations." – @SecKennedypic.twitter.com/491tqIpgKy
A BBC report stated that though some studies have shown a link between Tylenol usage and autism, however, these findings have largely remained inconsistent and inconclusive. Kenvue, the manufacturer of Tylenol, has defended the use of medication in pregnant women.
🚨 President Donald J. Trump announces FDA's new guidance alerting physicians to a potential link between acetaminophen (Tylenol) use during pregnancy and an increased risk of autism. pic.twitter.com/ZjVgEAR6MX
Kenvue, in a statement said, “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,” BBC reported.
Reports suggested that the experts have said autism is caused by several factors, and the science behind linking the usage of Tylenol with women during pregnancy and autism has not settled. Tylenol’s active ingredient, Acetaminophen, still remains the safest pain reliever option for pregnant women, Kenvue stated.
During the announcement at the Oval Office, Health Secretary Kennedy said the Food and Drug Administration will issue a notice to physicians about the potential risks of taking Tylenol during pregnancy.
Without providing any evidence, Trump said, “It’s “too much liquid, too many different things are going into that baby.”
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President Donald Trump speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, in Washington, as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz listen. (AP Photo) 
