Tylenol faces fresh backlash as historic tweet resurfaces after Trump autism claim

Tylenol is once again in the spotlight after a 2017 social-media post warning against use by pregnant women resurfaced as President Donald Trump claimed paracetamol may be linked to autism. Medical experts said there is no robust evidence of a link, and Britain’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency said there is no evidence that taking paracetamol during pregnancy causes autism in children. The White House reposted the old Tylenol tweet along with a photo of Trump, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services shared it as well.

The eight-year-old consumer guidance had been criticized by Tylenol's maker, Kenvue, which said the post did not reflect full guidance on safe use and stressed that paracetamol remains the safest painkiller option for pregnant women when used after consultation with a doctor. Current Tylenol packaging instructs that if pregnant or breast-feeding, a health professional should be consulted before use.

Reaction followed in the United States and United Kingdom. A Kenvue spokesperson said the company believes independent science does not support a link between acetaminophen and autism and expressed concern about the potential health risks of such claims. UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting urged people to follow medical science rather than political statements about medicine and risky advice. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch warned the claims could cause fear and anxiety among pregnant women.

Experts note that caution about medicines during pregnancy is common because full clinical trials in pregnant women are not conducted. Retrospective data can suggest safety but are not definitive.

Several studies over the years have explored potential links between maternal paracetamol use and autism or ADHD, but findings have been inconsistent and do not prove causation.

Paracetamol remains the NHS's recommended first-choice painkiller during pregnancy, but only for short periods and at the lowest effective dose.

Historical context includes a 1980s Tylenol safety scare when capsules laced with cyanide led to fatalities; Johnson & Johnson introduced tamper-evident packaging, which became an industry standard.

In 2023, Johnson & Johnson spun Tylenol and other brands into a new standalone company, Kenvue.

U.S. officials have indicated they would seek to update the drug's warning label and encourage doctors to exercise caution with paracetamol use in pregnancy in light of any suggested link. Mount Sinai in New York and Harvard's School of Public Health published a study last month urging doctors to advise paracetamol use in pregnancy only on the basis of medical guidance, while acknowledging that the evidence does not prove causation.

Kenvue has previously engaged with health authorities to defend Tylenol and its role in relieving fever in pregnancy; interim chief executive Kirk Perry reportedly spoke with the U.S. health secretary to discuss the issue.

The episode highlights ongoing tensions between public health messaging, corporate communications, and political discourse around medicine, with regulators continuing to emphasize cautious use of paracetamol during pregnancy when needed and guided by a clinician.