A comprehensive review has found no solid evidence linking Tylenol use during pregnancy to autism or ADHD in children, despite recent political warnings urging women to avoid the painkiller. The review, published in the British Medical Journal, was expedited to address concerns raised after President Trump claimed that acetaminophen—sold under the brand name Tylenol and also known as paracetamol outside of the US and Japan, per a release—was driving up autism rates and advised pregnant women to limit its use. Trump later urged women to "fight like hell" to avoid the drug.
Researchers analyzed nine systematic reviews covering 40 observational studies on acetaminophen use in pregnancy and neurodevelopmental outcomes in children. While all of the reviews noted at least a possible association between the drug and autism or ADHD, most cautioned that the evidence was weak and likely influenced by factors such as family genetics and preexisting maternal health conditions.
Only one review properly accounted for these confounding factors, and when sibling comparisons were made, any apparent risk disappeared. "Women should know that the existing evidence does not really support a link between paracetamol and autism and ADHD," the University of Liverpool's Shakila Thangaratinam, a co-author of the review, tells the Guardian, adding that the findings should reassure women who may feel guilty about having taken the medication during pregnancy.
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Alternative painkillers like ibuprofen aren't recommended for pregnant women. "Paracetamol is the safest medication to use in pregnancy, and has been used by the majority of pregnant women globally for several decades without any impact on autism and ADHD," says Dimitrios Siassakos of University College London.
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