{"id":24485,"date":"2026-01-16T21:10:38","date_gmt":"2026-01-17T02:10:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/miami\/2026\/01\/16\/tylenol-doesnt-raise-autism-risk\/"},"modified":"2026-01-16T21:10:41","modified_gmt":"2026-01-17T02:10:41","slug":"tylenol-doesnt-raise-autism-risk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/miami\/2026\/01\/16\/tylenol-doesnt-raise-autism-risk\/","title":{"rendered":"Tylenol Doesn’t Raise Autism Risk"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction to the Debate<\/h1>\n

\nBy LAURA UNGAR
\nA new review of studies has found that taking Tylenol during pregnancy doesn\u2019t increase the risk of autism, ADHD or intellectual disabilities \u2013 adding to the growing body of research refuting claims made by the Trump administration.<\/p>\n

Background on the Claims<\/h2>\n

President Donald Trump last year promoted unproven ties between the painkiller and autism, telling pregnant women: \u201cDon\u2019t take Tylenol.\u201d The latest research review, published Friday in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynecology & Women\u2019s Health, looked at 43 studies and concluded that the most rigorous ones, such as those that compare siblings, provide strong evidence that taking the drug commonly known as paracetamol outside of the U.S. does not cause autism, ADHD or intellectual disabilities.<\/p>\n

Expert Opinion<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s \u201csafe to use in pregnancy,\u201d said lead author Dr. Asma Khalil. \u201cIt remains \u2026 the first line of treatment that we would recommend if the pregnant woman has pain or fever.\u201d While some studies have raised the possibility of a link between autism risk and using Tylenol, also known as acetaminophen, during pregnancy, more haven\u2019t found a connection.<\/p>\n

Review of Existing Research<\/h4>\n

A review published last year in BMJ said existing evidence doesn\u2019t clearly link the drug\u2019s use during pregnancy with autism or ADHD in offspring. A study published the previous year in the Journal of the American Medical Association also found it wasn\u2019t associated with children\u2019s risk of autism, ADHD or intellectual disability in an analysis looking at siblings. But the White House has focused on research supporting a link.<\/p>\n

Analysis of Contradictory Findings<\/h5>\n

One of the papers cited on its web page, published in BMC Environmental Health last year, analyzed results from 46 previous studies and found that they supported evidence of an association between Tylenol exposure during pregnancy and increased incidence of neurodevelopmental disorders. Researchers noted that the drug is still important for treating pain and fever during pregnancy, but said steps should be taken to limit its use. Some health experts have raised concerns about that review and the way Trump administration officials portrayed it, pointing out that only a fraction of the studies focus on autism and that an association doesn\u2019t prove cause and effect.<\/p>\n

Limitations and Biases<\/h6>\n

Khalil, a fetal medicine specialist at St. George\u2019s Hospital, London, said that review included some studies that were small and some that were prone to bias. The senior author of that review was Dr. Andrea Baccarelli, dean of the faculty at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, who noted in the paper that he served as an expert witness for plaintiffs in a case involving potential links between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and neurodevelopmental disorders. Baccarelli did not respond to an email seeking comment on his study.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n

Overall, Khalil said, research cited in the public debate showing small associations between acetaminophen and autism is vulnerable to confounding factors. For example, a pregnant woman might take Tylenol for fevers, and fever during pregnancy may raise the risk for autism. Research can also be affected by \u201crecall bias,\u201d such as when the mother of an autistic child doesn\u2019t accurately remember how much of the drug she used during pregnancy after the fact, Khalil said. When researchers prioritize the most rigorous study approaches \u2013 such as comparing siblings to account for the influence of things like genetics \u2013 \u201cthe association is not seen,\u201d she said. Genetics are the biggest risk factor for autism, experts say. Other risks include the age of the child\u2019s father, preterm birth and whether the mother had health problems during pregnancy.<\/p>\n

FAQs<\/h2>\n