Taking Tylenol during pregnancy has no link to autism, new study finds | US news
Taking acetaminophen, known by the brand name Tylenol in the U.S., during pregnancy has no effect on later autism diagnoses, according to a comprehensive new study published Monday in Denmark.
The Trump administration has targeted Tylenol use during pregnancy as a major cause of autism in children, which appears to have led to a decline in the number of pregnant women taking painkillers.
Thanks to Denmark’s strong national healthcare system, researchers were able to track more than 1.5 million children born between 1997 and 2022 in the national health registry; these include 31,098 children exposed to Tylenol in utero.
Autism was diagnosed in 1.8 percent of children exposed to Tylenol and 3 percent of unexposed children. to workPublished in Jama Pediatrics. A similar study conducted in Sweden in 2024 to create A marginal link that disappeared after siblings were taken into account suggests that autism is strongly genetic, something that has already been proven in other studies.
US review of current studies in 2025 to create a potential relationship, but it was unclear whether there were confounding factors. For example, pregnant autistic people take Tylenol more often than neurotypical pregnant people due to higher pain levels.
Health officials announced in September 2025 that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will initiate a label change for acetaminophen and warn of a possible link to autism. Trump has warned several times against taking painkillers during pregnancy.
“Do not take Tylenol if you are pregnant,” Trump said at a press conference at the time. “Do not take Tylenol. Do not let your baby take Tylenol.” She said the drug was “not good” and that taking Tylenol during pregnancy was associated with a “very high risk of autism.”
Trump added that acetaminophen may still be recommended during pregnancy in some “medically necessary” situations. “For example, in case of extremely high fever, you feel like you can’t stand it,” he said.
At the same September press conference, officials announced that leucovorin, a B vitamin, could be used to treat autism. This claim was quietly withdrawn earlier this year.
Tylenol is safe to take during pregnancy and can play an important role in relieving pain and lowering fever. But Tylenol use among pregnant women in emergency rooms dropped 10% after the announcement in September, according to the Lancet. to work It was published last month.
