President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr have revived an old and unproven claim: that Tylenol use during pregnancy may cause autism. At a recent event, Trump teased that a “solution” to autism had been found, hinting at common pain relievers. Kennedy’s department later pointed to Tylenol as a possible culprit, citing a Harvard study that linked heavy prenatal use to autism risk.
(Mike Mozart via Flickr Creative Commons)But experts stress the evidence is far from conclusive. The Harvard study, like others before it, is observational and shows correlation, not causation. Autism is a complex condition influenced by a wide range of genetic and environmental factors, and no single substance has been shown to be the root cause. Suggesting Tylenol as “the answer” oversimplifies the science and risks misleading families. Even the authors are careful, reporting an association (correlation) rather than proving causation, and emphasizing limitations in the evidence such as bias, confounding, etc.
“Trump’s claim regarding the common drug is contradictory to the facts shown by countless previous studies,” writes Laylah Hamby in the student newspaper at Gordon Central High School in Calhoun, Georgia. “Tylenol has never been shown to be harmful in any way to pregnant women, unlike tobacco products and alcohol.”
Doctors also caution that discouraging Tylenol use, as the president and RFK have, may cause more harm than good. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is the only fever-reducing medication considered safe in pregnancy. Alternatives like ibuprofen and aspirin are known to raise the risk of miscarriage or birth complications. Untreated fevers, meanwhile, can themselves cause serious harm to a developing fetus. As Scott White, chair of the Women’s Health Committee of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians, put it: “I’m really worried about the messaging that says pregnant women should just tough it out.”
Health officials worldwide, including the World Health Organization, have begun countering the claims in an effort to reassure the public. They emphasize that Tylenol remains safe when used as directed and that pregnant patients should not hesitate to take it when medically necessary. “Pain relief is a fundamental human right,” White said, warning against policies or rhetoric that deny mothers access to it.
While rates of autism diagnoses have risen in recent decades, experts attribute much of the increase to greater awareness and broader definitions, not necessarily a surge in new cases. The Trump-Kennedy claims come at a politically charged moment, fueling distrust in medical guidance and stirring unnecessary fear. For now, the scientific consensus is clear: Tylenol has never been proven harmful to pregnant women, and public health leaders caution against letting politics distort medical advice.
