Scivillage.com Casual Discussion Science Forum

Reminiscent of when he suggested ingesting bleach as a cure for Covid, Trump now claims that taking Tylenol can cause autism in babies, a claim not backed by science at all. It's the latest ignorant misinformation to come straight from the horse's mouth:

"Flanked by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid head Dr. Mehmet Oz, President Trump pinned substantial blame for rising autism rates on the common painkiller, which is also known by its brand name, Tylenol.

"Taking Tylenol is not good — I'll say it: It's not good," he said, suggesting without evidence that communities without access to the medicine have "no autism," while in others, autism now affects one in 12 boys. He discouraged giving acetaminophen to babies, as well. (He also suggested that vaccines and their frequency may be a culprit in causing autism, an oft-repeated claim that has been debunked by decades of research.)

Trump and his deputies repeatedly advised pregnant women to refrain from using acetaminophen, and said they would caution physicians against using it — contrary to what physicians' groups say."

https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-healt...-pregnancy

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PM...-01319.pdf

https://www.atsjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1...025-0014ED

https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/11/1/44

https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10...1208-0.pdf

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MrBbe71...0J7sY/view

https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/4/2128

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PM...564552.pdf

https://www.preprints.org/frontend/manus...wnload_pub

https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/10/1/26

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3261751/

^
All those are obviously lying, right-wing, anti-vax, anti-pharma crackpots. Trump must have personally paid them to conduct such transparently biased propaganda "research."

Would love to see what's incentivising them to choose acetaminophen specifically... Or what objective markers of autism they targeted, if their research is correct.

"Frequent or prolonged acetaminophen use during pregnancy has been found in several large observational studies to be associated with higher rates of neurodevelopmental disorders in children. But experts emphasize that those observational studies don’t definitively prove that frequent Tylenol use during pregnancy causes autism. Underlying illness or genetic predisposition could also play a role in the development of autism. Until more definitive research is published, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the CDC continue to recommend acetaminophen as the safest over-the-counter pain reliever for pregnant women.

Yale School of Public Health Associate Professor Dr. Zeyan Liew, PhD, MPH, is doing extensive research into Tylenol use during pregnancy and neurodevelopment conditions such as autism. He spoke to Colin Poitras about the current concerns and what the research has discovered to date.

Does acetaminophen (Tylenol) use during pregnancy cause autism? 

Dr. Zeyan Liew: We do not know yet for sure whether Tylenol causes autism. Indeed, there have been multiple observational studies conducted across different populations that show associations between frequent use of Tylenol in pregnancy and some negative effects on a child’s neurodevelopment. However, not all studies are specific about autism. Further, whether other possible factors related to Tylenol use are driving these associations needs to be thoroughly evaluated.

What research have you done or are you currently doing on this issue? 

ZL: I am leading an internationally collaborative project that will evaluate the association between Tylenol use in pregnancy and six specific domains of neurodevelopment assessed from early to late childhood. The project will study a range of other factors related to Tylenol use, including medical conditions, other medications or treatments taken together with Tylenol, and family history of physical and mental health outcomes. Further, I am leading a project at Yale that studies maternal behaviors associated with over-the-counter medication use, including their perceived risk and safety, and barriers to seeking clinical advice.

Are there alternative pain relievers that women can use during pregnancy? 

ZL: Unfortunately, there is no equivalent alternative for Tylenol at the moment, as other over-the-counter pain medications, such as ibuprofen, are recommended to be avoided during pregnancy, especially after 20 weeks of gestation.

It is important that people understand our knowledge in this area is constantly evolving. While acetaminophen is currently recommended by regulatory and clinical agencies as safe to use in pregnancy, we need to convey the possibility that these guidelines may be challenged if new and stronger research data emerge that suggest potential risks during pregnancy and child development.

These are nuances in medication safety communication. We do not want people to fear using a treatment—but we also need to be mindful about limiting potential harm and risks. In this case, frequent and prolonged use of Tylenol during pregnancy is a potential risk. That said, untreated maternal fever or pain can pose risks to pregnancy and child development. Thus, it is recommended that pregnant women consult with their health care providers and, if pain relief is necessary, that they use the lowest effective dose and duration for Tylenol to alleviate these conditions."---- https://ysph.yale.edu/news-article/what-...pregnancy/

(Sep 23, 2025 03:26 PM)Magical Realist Wrote: [ -> ]We do not know yet for sure whether Tylenol causes autism.

Which should be all the reason we need to use caution.
Some of these studies did link the amount of acetaminophen found in the umbilical cord to the likelihood of developmental disorders.

The advantages of taking Tylenol, the only pain reliever pregnant women can take, outweigh any potential disadvantages. Having a fever while pregnant can adversely affect the baby.

"During the 1st trimester, a temperature higher than 103° F (39.5° C) increases risk of the following:

A miscarriage

Defects of the brain or spinal cord in the baby

Late in pregnancy, fever increases the risk of the following:

Preterm labor

Doctors treat the cause of the fever, but women can also take acetaminophen to lower the temperature. Cooling blankets can be used in women with a very high fever."

https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/women-...-pregnancy

Caution doesn't mean banning its use. Trump even said that women should consult with their doctor on if acetaminophen is necessary.

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I would be more concerned about heavy metals in bathing and drinking water causing autism to be honest. Such as from old lead pipework.