President Donald Trump has reignited controversy by publicly suggesting that the prenatal use of Tylenol (acetaminophen) may be linked to an increased risk of autism in children.
In a recent televised interview and on his Truth Social platform, he also repeated widely discredited claims that link routine childhood vaccines to autism. This theory has been rejected by every major medical and scientific authority worldwide.
Health professionals and researchers have pushed back strongly, warning that such statements could harm public trust, discourage evidence-based medical care, and increase vaccine hesitancy, especially in vulnerable communities.
Tylenol & Autism: What the Science Says
In recent years, a number of observational studies have explored a possible link between prenatal acetaminophen exposure and neurodevelopmental conditions, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). While some research has found weak associations, most scientists agree that there is no proven causal link.
A major sibling-controlled cohort study published in 2024 by researchers at Drexel University and the Karolinska Institute, analyzing over 2.4 million births in Sweden, concluded that familial and genetic factors likely account for the small correlations seen in earlier studies.
“When we compared siblings where one was exposed to acetaminophen in the womb and the other wasn’t the autism risk difference vanished,” said Dr. Brian Lee, epidemiologist and lead author of the study (Drexel University, 2024).
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has acknowledged that more research is warranted, but reaffirmed in 2025 that there is no conclusive evidence of a causal relationship between acetaminophen use in pregnancy and autism. The agency has not changed its official recommendations. (FDA.gov, 2025)
Vaccines and Autism: A Myth That Won’t Die
In the same interview, President Trump claimed that childhood vaccines may also be contributing to increased autism diagnoses, a claim he has repeated since his 2016 presidential campaign. But this narrative has been repeatedly disproven. (Time Magazine)
The idea that vaccines cause autism stems from a fraudulent 1998 study by ex-physician Andrew Wakefield, which was fully retracted by The Lancet and condemned by the medical community. Dozens of large-scale studies since have consistently shown no link between vaccines and autism.
“There is no credible evidence that the MMR or any vaccine causes autism, this myth has caused real harm,” said Dr. Paul Offit, pediatrician and vaccine expert at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (Mayo Clinic Health System, 2023).
The World Health Organization (WHO), U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and American Academy of Pediatrics all continue to affirm that vaccines are safe, effective, and do not cause autism. (WHO Statement, 2025)
Public health experts in the U.S. and globally have condemned Trump’s remarks as irresponsible and dangerous, especially in the context of declining public trust in health systems.
When leaders speak irresponsibly about scientific topics, it can have deadly consequences. We’ve already seen how vaccine misinformation fueled measles outbreaks. We cannot afford another wave of fear based on speculation.
Tylenol remains one of the most commonly prescribed medications during pregnancy for treating fever and mild to moderate pain. Untreated maternal fever itself can lead to poor outcomes, including neural tube defects and developmental problems.
Avoiding treatment based on misinformation can sometimes pose a greater risk than the medicine itself.
Health professionals are concerned that such misinformation, when echoed by popular political figures abroad, can spread rapidly and influence local perceptions.
“We already face vaccine hesitancy due to systemic mistrust. Unfounded claims like this can deepen those fears,” said Tarik Jašarević a representative from WHO (Reuters, 2025).
The Verdict
Despite renewed public attention, there remains no credible scientific evidence that Tylenol (acetaminophen) use in pregnancy causes autism nor that vaccines do. While ongoing research into autism's causes is valuable, experts urge the public to rely on medical consensus, not political speculation.
By Nour Ghaoush, public health researcher at enmaeya
