The health secretary has urged pregnant women to ignore Donald Trump’s claims that paracetamol use in pregnancy can be linked to autism.
The US president repeatedly advised pregnant women at a press conference on Monday not to take Tylenol – the drug known in the UK as paracetamol – suggesting it is a potential cause of autism.
But Wes Streeting has joined scientists across the world in condemning the claims, urging people to trust doctors over Mr Trump.
Mr Streeting told ITV’s Lorraine: “I would just say to people watching, don’t pay any attention whatsoever to what Donald Trump says about medicine.”
“I trust doctors over President Trump, frankly, on this,” he said. “I’ve just got to be really clear about this: there is no evidence to link the use of paracetamol by pregnant women to autism in their children. None.
“In fact, a major study was done back in 2024 in Sweden, involving 2.4 million children, and it did not uphold those claims.
“So I would just say to people watching, don’t pay any attention whatsoever to what Donald Trump says about medicine. In fact, don’t take even take my word for it, as a politician – listen to British doctors, British scientists, the NHS.
“It’s really important that a time when you know there is scepticism – and I don’t think scepticism itself, asking questions is in itself a bad thing, by all means, ask questions – but we’ve got to follow medical science.”
In the UK, the NHS website says “paracetamol is the first choice of painkiller if you’re pregnant. It’s commonly taken during pregnancy and does not harm your baby.”
Scientists across the world, including in the UK, have criticised the claims, with one saying the claim “risks stigmatising families who have autistic children as having brought it on themselves”.
There are also concerns that the “fearmongering” will prevent women from accessing the appropriate care during pregnancy.
Dr Monique Botha, associate professor in social and developmental psychology at Durham University, said there is “no robust evidence or convincing studies” to suggest a link between the common painkiller and autism.
“I am exceptionally confident in saying that no relationship exists,” she said.
“The fearmongering will prevent women from accessing the appropriate care during pregnancy.
“Similarly, pain relief for pregnant women is woefully lacking and paracetamol is a much safer pain relief option during pregnancy than basically any other alternative and we need to take pain seriously for women, including whilst pregnant.”
She added: “Further, it risks stigmatising families who have autistic children as having brought it on themselves and reinvigorates the long pattern of maternal shame and blame as we’ve seen re-emerge repeatedly over the last 70 years where we try to pay the fault of autism at the mother’s door one way or another.”
Dr Edward Mullins, clinical associate professor at The George Institute for Global Health, Imperial College London, also said evidence suggests there is no link between paracetamol use in pregnancy and autism.
He said: “In the absence of any new evidence, the reported press release from the Trump administration claiming it is would appear to be an unsubstantiated theory which is likely to lead to an essential treatment for fever and pain being denied to women in pregnancy without good reason, contrary to US and European medical guidance.”
Likewise, Professor Claire Anderson, president of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, said paracetamol has “been used safely by millions of people for decades, including during pregnancy, when taken as directed”.
She added that a large 2024 study found no evidence of a link between paracetamol use in pregnancy and an increased risk of autism in children.
Dr Alison Cave, chief safety officer for medicines regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, said there “is no evidence that taking paracetamol during pregnancy causes autism in children” and that paracetamol remains the recommended pain relief for pregnant women.
She added: “Our advice on medicines in pregnancy is based on rigorous assessment of the best available scientific evidence. Any new evidence that could affect our recommendations would be carefully evaluated by our independent scientific experts.
“We continuously monitor the safety of all medicines, including those used during pregnancy, through robust monitoring and surveillance. We encourage anyone to report any suspected side effects to us via the Yellow Card scheme.”
The Green Party accused the US president of “blatant misogyny” over the claims.
Rachel Millward, co-deputy leader of the party, said: "Donald Trump's America seems to be witnessing the unfolding of the terrifying fiction, the Handmaid's Tale.
“Trump has suggested women in pain during pregnancy should avoid using paracetamol based on a bogus and fear-mongering claim that using it will lead to autism in their children.
“The Trump administration has also ordered a review of all grants for research involving what they decry as ‘woke’ keywords – which includes the word ‘women’.
“We should all feel worried by this blatant misogyny, because where Donald Trump leads, Nigel Farage tends to follow.”
In August this year, a study from Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health and Mount Sinai reported that exposure to acetaminophen – also known as Tylenol or paracetamol – during pregnancy may mean children were more likely to develop neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism and ADHD.
Published in BMC Environmental Health, the researchers analysed results from 46 previous studies.
They concluded that, while steps should be taken to limit paracetamol use, the drug was important for treating fever and pain in mothers, which could also harm babies.
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