In a September 22 press conference, President Donald Trump and several Health and Human Services Secretary officials claimed that the use of acetaminophen (name brand: Tylenol) during pregnancy is linked to autism and repeated the myth that vaccines cause autism. This claim has been roundly criticized by experts, who say the evidence to support the link is inconclusive and does not prove that the drug causes autism. The president told reporters that the Food and Drug Administration will begin notifying physicians immediately of its recommendation that use during pregnancy should be avoided unless necessary. He added that the FDA will update acetaminophen labeling to include information about the purported risk and will begin the approval process for the drug leucovorin to treat autism. Health care providers, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, condemned the announcement, with many expressing skepticism about the validity of the link and concern for pregnant patients who have limited safe pain relief options.
Recommendation
The Trump administration’s announcement will likely cause alarm and confusion about acetaminophen use, especially among parents and pregnant people. Health communicators may explain that autism is complex and does not have a single cause, that there is no evidence that acetaminophen use causes autism, and that the data used to support the link is flawed, incomplete, and prone to bias. Messaging may highlight that the most rigorous and large-scale studies on the topic—including a 2024 study of nearly 2.5 million children—found no link between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and autism or other neurodevelopmental disorders. Additionally, communicators may emphasize that ACOG continues to recommend acetaminophen to treat pain and fever during pregnancy and that the organization stated that the HHS announcement “is not backed by the full body of scientific evidence and dangerously simplifies the many and complex causes of neurologic challenges in children….In more than two decades of research on the use of acetaminophen in pregnancy, not a single reputable study has successfully concluded that the use of acetaminophen in any trimester of pregnancy causes neurodevelopmental disorders in children.” Finally, continuing to explain that the myth that vaccines cause autism has been disproven repeatedly is recommended.
Fact-checking sources: NPR, UC Health, AP News, Public Good News
Communication resources: Talking points on acetaminophen and pregnancy
