Australian doctors have issued a clear rebuttal to US President Donald Trump’s claim that taking paracetamol (also called Tylenol or acetaminophen) during pregnancy may cause autism in children, affirming there’s no evidence for such a link.
Trump drew criticism and public concern this week after making a series of statements about the safety of common medications during pregnancy. Speaking at the White House, he said Tylenol is “no good” for pregnant women and alleged a connection between its use and higher rates of autism, “First, effective immediately, the FDA will be notifying physicians that the use of… acetaminophen… during pregnancy can be associated with a very increased risk of autism,” Trump said.
“So taking Tylenol is… ahhhh… not good. I’ll say it, it’s not good. For this reason, they are strongly recommending women limit Tylenol use during pregnancy unless medically necessary… extreme fever where women feel they can’t tough it out.”
He later suggested, “Women should not take Tylenol throughout their entire pregnancy, adding that parents should reconsider giving the drug to children unless necessary.”
His claim has not been endorsed by any health authority in Australia or the United States.
Dr Danielle McMullen, president of the Australian Medical Association (AMA), said on ABC’s RN Breakfast, “There are no studies showing that paracetamol use in pregnancy causes autism. There have been some studies showing an association between paracetamol use and autism in children, but there’s also been really large studies showing that there’s no association. It’s important to remember that association doesn’t mean cause.”
She noted there are many factors that contribute to a child’s development, and “it’s most likely that autism is linked with genetic factors as its primary driver, but we really don’t know the full cause of autism”.
Australia’s regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), confirmed its official stance, “Paracetamol remains Pregnancy Category A in Australia, meaning that it is considered safe for use in pregnancy. The TGA has no current active safety investigations for paracetamol and autism, or paracetamol and neurodevelopmental disorders more broadly.”
Dr McMullen added, “Like all medications, we try to use as little as possible when pregnant, but certainly for pain and fever in pregnancy, the advice here in Australia still is that paracetamol is still a reasonable and safe option for pregnant women to use.”
Medical experts stress the damage this could do to expectant parents. “Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder without a known singular cause. Nevertheless, research demonstrates genetics play a significant role, with numerous genes linked to autism. Recent claims suggesting that Tylenol use during pregnancy could elevate autism risk have understandably caused alarm among expectant parents,” said Dr Hannah Kirk, Senior Lecturer at Monash University to the ABC.
So there you have it! Australian authorities and medical experts are united: medical evidence does not support Trump’s warnings. Shocker!
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