Trump's Tylenol claim draws medical experts' concern; no evidence supports autism link

In a Monday press conference, President Donald Trump asserted that acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, used during pregnancy may be linked to autism, despite a broad consensus among medical groups that there is no credible evidence for such a causal connection. Citing the FDA, the president said there would be a strong recommendation for women to limit Tylenol use during pregnancy unless medically necessary and later framed the guidance as coming from personal judgment rather than medical consensus. "Taking Tylenol is not good. I’ll say it," he declared, prompting immediate pushback from physicians and medical organizations alike.

White House officials quickly framed the remarks as a general stance on prudent health decisions rather than a formal medical policy. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration "does not believe popping more pills is always the answer for better health" and that it would not be deterred in its efforts as millions of Americans seek clear guidance on personal health choices. In tandem, major medical organizations, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Psychiatric Association, condemned the framing on social media, stressing that there is no causal link between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and autism, and that acetaminophen, when taken as directed, is considered safe for use during pregnancy. Research to date has found no association between acetaminophen exposure in pregnancy and autism, and experts emphasize that fever during pregnancy, if left untreated, can pose real risks to the fetus.

Across the medical community, the response was swift and largely unified: do not conflate a lack of evidence with evidence of harm, and do not discourage the use of acetaminophen when it is medically indicated. HuffPost spoke with several clinicians who stressed the danger of messaging that could shame pregnant people or undermine fever and pain management. Dr. Eric Burnett, an internal medicine physician at an academic medical center, called the remarks "reckless and irresponsible" and noted that advising pregnant patients to avoid Tylenol without credible data ignores the risks associated with untreated pain or fever, which can itself harm both mother and fetus. "The president’s remarks were both reckless and irresponsible," Burnett said. "He advised pregnant patients to avoid Tylenol without presenting any credible evidence of harm, suggesting they should simply ‘tough it out.’ In reality, untreated pain and fever pose serious risks during pregnancy, and acetaminophen remains the only safe option we have."

Other experts characterized the president’s statements as cruel or dangerous for fetal outcomes. Jessica Malaty Rivera, an infectious disease epidemiologist, described the rhetoric as "cruel" and said that it could fuel guilt among parents of children with autism. She cautioned that sweeping claims about autism and medications risk stigmatizing families and oversimplifying a complex condition. "Pregnancy is hard enough without messaging that places blame on mothers for outcomes we barely understand," Rivera said via interview.

Several pediatricians and researchers warned against drawing causation from observational studies. Dr. Krupa Playforth, a board-certified pediatrician and founder of The Pediatrician Mom, noted that autism is complex and that higher-quality studies, including larger sibling-controlled cohorts, have consistently found no link between acetaminophen exposure in utero and autism. She emphasized the importance of considering genetics and other factors when interpreting study results, and cautioned that headlines tying Tylenol to autism may mislead parents into thinking there is a proven cause-and-effect relationship.

In a similar vein, Dr. Anita Patel, a pediatric critical care physician, said the strongest study to date found no association between acetaminophen and autism in a large Swedish cohort of 2.5 million children, controlled for genetics and environmental exposures. Patel argued that mischaracterizing the evidence risks stigmatizing families and patients who rely on safe, well-established treatments during pregnancy. "The largest study to date showed no association; the problem is that unproven claims can create guilt and fear for parents who used the medication as directed to manage fever or pain during pregnancy," she said.

A number of clinicians also pushed back on the idea that public figures should dictate medical guidance without input from the scientific community. Dr. Mona Amin, a pediatrician and founder of @pedsdoctalk, called the messaging "ignorance dressed up as policy" and argued that telling pregnant people to simply ‘tough it out’ is inappropriate when fever and pain have real, documented risks for fetal development if not treated. "Women don’t just take Tylenol for fun. They take it for fever, which we know can harm a pregnancy if untreated, and for pain, when there truly aren’t safer options for the fetus," Amin said.

The discussion reflects the broader tension between political rhetoric and medical guidance. While acetaminophen is widely viewed as a safe and effective option for pain and fever during pregnancy when used as directed, fever itself—if left untreated—has been associated with adverse fetal outcomes, including neural tube defects and cardiac issues in some research. Medical authorities caution against making causal claims based on observational data alone and urge ongoing consultation with clinicians about the risks and benefits of any medication during pregnancy.

The episode also underscores how rapidly political statements can influence public perception of medical science. Public health experts emphasize the importance of relying on established guidelines and the assessments of medical organizations rather than extrapolating from controversial remarks. As researchers continue to study the complex factors that contribute to autism, they stress that current high-quality evidence does not support a link between acetaminophen exposure in pregnancy and autism. Clinicians reiterate that acetaminophen remains a mainstay for treating fever and pain during pregnancy when used as directed, and that patients should seek medical advice for any persistent or severe symptoms.

Experts say the goal should be to protect both maternal and fetal health by balancing timely treatment of fever and pain with careful consideration of risks, following established medical guidance. The medical community’s position remains that there is no causal link between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and autism, and that withholding a safe and effective medication inappropriately could lead to unnecessary suffering and stress for pregnant people. The public health message moving forward, independent of political rhetoric, is to rely on clinicians for individualized advice, adhere to recommended dosing, and promptly address fever and pain in pregnancy through approved, evidence-based approaches. The conversation, observers say, should pivot back to science and patient-centered care rather than unfounded conjecture.