Does tylenol cause autism? Here is what research says

Acetaminophen, active ingredient in tylenol, is the only pain relief medication and fever reduction considered to be safe during pregnancy. In the United States, more than half of pregnant people say they use it at least once during their pregnancy.

High federal health officials are now in doubt about the safety of acetaminophen, warning that taking medication during pregnancy could increase the risk that the child is born with autism.

During a White House event on September 22, President Donald Trump urged pregnant people to take acetaminophen if they cannot “finish”.

“Don’t take Tylenol. Do not take it. Beat like hell so as not to take it,” said Trump.

On the same day, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a doctor advisor to pregnant women to use acetaminophen only for high -ranking fevers and said that it would move to modify the safety label of the drug, while recognizing that existing studies do not show the causality of neurological conditions.

Two decades of research ago on the question of whether acetaminophen can affect children’s brain development. The evidence is contradictory – some studies show a link while others do not do so. None has proven that acetaminophen causes autism.

Professional medical groups have reiterated their long -standing recommendation to use acetaminophen when necessary to treat maternal fever, severe preeclampsia and pain. If these conditions are poorly dealt with, this can lead to complications or the death of maternal health and children.

“The conditions that people use of acetaminophen to treat during pregnancy are much more dangerous than all the theoretical risks and can create severe morbidity and mortality for the pregnant and the fetus”, Steven Fleischman, MD, president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG),, said in a press release.

Why the Trump administration says there is a risk

The correlation between the prenatal use of acetaminophen and the development of the children’s brain has never been tested in a clinical trial. Due to the known risks of maternal fever and intense pain, it would be contrary to ethics to retain acetaminophen from pregnant people during a trial when there are no safe alternatives. This leaves scientists to draw conclusions based on more observational evidence and animal studies.

The announcement of the White House follows the August publication of a research document which reviews 46 studies on the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy, eight of which were focused on the link between acetaminophen and autism. The authors said that, taken together, studies show that “a causal relationship is plausible” between prenatal acetaminophen and an increased risk of autism.

Ann Bauer, SCD, epidemiologist and co-author of the University of Massachusetts and co-author of the newspaper, said that research was not conclusive. His team found that among the studies showing a positive association, taking acetaminophen for four weeks or more seemed to have a greater effect on the risk of autism.

“We believe that the combined weight of animal and human scientific evidence is strong enough for pregnant women to be warned by health professionals against its blind use,” Bauer told Metwell.

She said research indicates that It is unlikely that acetaminophen to be harmful. However, she added, health care providers should advise pregnant persons Use acetaminophen only when indicated medicallyTo consult a doctor or a pharmacist before long -term use, and to take the lowest effective dose during the shortest time.

Many current studies are asking mothers to self-assess their use of acetaminophen, which can lead to a sub-declaration since the drug is an ingredient of many drugs beyond Tylenol, said Brennan Baker, PHD, a postdoctoral researcher at the Seattle children’s hospital.

In an article in 2025, the Baker team used biomarkers to see if there is a relationship between the quantity of acetaminophen in the blood of a mother and the risk of attention and hyperactivity deficit (ADHD), another neurodevelopmental condition. This study revealed that the relative risk of ADHD was about three times higher in those who have the greatest use of acetaminophen.

The other factors that could distort the results of the studies on the effects of acetaminophen include the state of health of the mother, the weight and the state of health of the baby and other environmental exhibitions.

Contradictory and incomplete evidence

ACOG, the largest professional membership organization for obstetrician gynecologists in the United States, criticized the August journal to rely on low-quality evidence.

“No deemed unique study has successfully concluded that the use of acetaminophen in any trimester of pregnancy causes neurodevelopmental disorders in children,” ACOG said in a statement.

Rather, the organization highlighted a major 2024 study in Sweden who analyzed autism rates among brothers and sisters and found no significant difference when mothers used acetaminophen during pregnancy but not another.

Autism is a hereditary condition, said Brian Lee, PHD, professor of epidemiology at Drexel University and the main author of the Sweden study. Certain environmental factors, such as pollution and exposure to pesticides, can play a role, but genetics is almost certainly. By controlling the genetic and family factors, his team found “the apparent risk completely line and disappeared,” he said.

A major review of evidence published in February concluded that most studies reporting positive results “are difficult to interpret because they have important biases”. The authors say that there is not yet enough evidence to modify clinical recommendations and call for more prospective studies to better understand if acetaminophen has an impact on neurodevelopment.

“There is a lot of evidence that is gushed. And with regard to the quality of the evidence, let’s just say that the quality is not necessarily of high quality,” said Lee. “It is almost certain that it will cause much more confusion when you receive fragmented and dissident messages from our public health officials. I hope that personal doctors can cut this noise and help their patients receive the best possible care.”

Administration hunting for a cause

Trump described the increase in autism cases “one of the most alarming public health developments in history”. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that 1 in 31 children was diagnosed with the disease in 2022, compared to 1 in 150 in 2000.

“The framing of autism as having only one cause to simplify science too much and can nourish stigma. This suggests that autism is a “problem” to be eradicated rather than a natural and valid form of human diversity, “said Patty Lauush, life coach of certified autism and founder of Thrive Auttics Coaching, told Well in an email. “Hearing that the government’s priority is to” find a cause “may have the impression that their existence is in the process of being pathologized.”

Federal agencies pour more resources into autism research. Jay Bhattacharya, director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), announced that the agency’s autism data science initiative will spend $ 50 million to support 13 research projects on deep causes and potential treatments for autism. A distinct report of NIH on the causes of autism is expected soon.

“Parents are already carrying heavy emotional loads regardless of their child’s neurotype. The introduction of speculation without solid evidence can strengthen self-cream,” said Laushman. “My message to parents is as follows: autism is not your fault.”

When to take acetaminophen

The FDA letter indicates that “clinicians should consider minimizing the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy for low -grade routine fevers”.

Maternal and fetal medicine groups already recommend that pregnant persons use the drug in moderation or for the shortest time when they are medically necessary and consult a doctor beforehand.

Baker said the speakers should secure They only take acetaminophen when they provide them with relief. The drug is the best to reduce fever and treat mild to moderate pain that do not involve inflammation. For example, clinical trials have shown that acetaminophen was ineffective in the treatment of back pain and chronic pain conditions.

“It is possible that people take the medication for the conditions where it does not actually make relief. This should not occur if there is even a possibility that it is a causal effect on unfavorable neurodetric development,” said Baker.

Bauer said the best way is not to “make women suffer” by prohibiting acetaminophen.

“We want to try to bring women to stop taking it for harmful pain, as if they have a slight headache,” said Bauer. “I think we live in a society in which the minute we have discomfort, many people burst tylenol or an advil. And I think we have to start moving away from it. ”