Geneva: The World Health Organization (WHO) has reaffirmed that the scientific evidence linking the use of paracetamol (also known as Tylenol or acetaminophen) during pregnancy to autism is “inconsistent.” The statement, delivered by WHO spokesperson Tarik Jašarević during a press briefing, comes after U.S. President Donald Trump publicly linked autism to both childhood vaccines and prenatal use of the pain medication.
Speaking at a White House event on Monday, President Trump reignited a long-debunked controversy by claiming that both childhood vaccines and Tylenol cause autism. His remarks, which have drawn sharp criticism from the medical community, contradict decades of scientific consensus. Jašarević, addressing the issue, stated that the link between paracetamol and autism is not scientifically proven.
In the United States, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and other major medical organizations have consistently maintained that acetaminophen is safe to use during pregnancy for pain and fever relief. They caution that avoiding the medication when needed could pose greater risks to both the mother and the unborn baby, as untreated fever can be harmful.
While some observational studies have suggested a statistical association between prenatal paracetamol use and neurodevelopmental disorders, a large-scale, rigorous study conducted in Sweden and published in JAMA in 2024 found no evidence of a causal link when accounting for familial and genetic factors. This finding is often cited by medical experts as strong evidence against a direct causal relationship.
The scientific consensus, supported by regulatory bodies around the world, remains that the benefits of using paracetamol for pain and fever during pregnancy, when taken as directed and at the lowest effective dose, outweigh the currently unproven risks. Medical experts have warned that politicizing such health claims can lead to misinformation and unnecessary panic among expectant mothers.
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Title: WHO Rejects Link Between Paracetamol and Autism, Citing Inconsistent Evidence After Trump’s Claims
Sub-header: The World Health Organization and other major medical bodies reiterate that there is no scientific consensus proving that taking paracetamol during pregnancy causes autism.