Science debunks Trump's claim: Paracetamol in pregnancy not linked to autism, finds Lancet study

Taking paracetamol during pregnancy is safe and does not increase the risk of autism, ADHD or other developmental conditions in children, shows a major new scientific review. The findings are in direct contradiction of the controversial claims made by US President Donald Trump a few months back. In September, Trump told pregnant women in the United States to avoid Tylenol and “tough it out,” and tied the painkiller, which is known as paracetamol outside America, to autism. Researchers say the evidence presented in the latest review published in The Lancet journal is strong enough to put the debate to rest.

Findings contradict Trump claims

The review directly contradicts comments made last year by Trump, who claimed paracetamol was dangerous in pregnancy and urged women to avoid it. In a speech that was reminiscent of his anti-vaccination push, Donald Trump repeatedly said, “Don’t take it (Tylenol),” adding that pregnant women should only consider acetaminophen, the main ingredient in Tylenol, if battling an “extremely high fever.” He then told them to “fight like hell not to take it.”

The US president claimed that, “There's a rumour—and I don't know if it's so or not—that Cuba, they don't have Tylenol because they don't have the money for Tylenol. And they have virtually no autism.” He also contended that the Amish, traditionalist people known for their horse-drawn carts and rejection of modern technology, "have essentially no autism".

Those remarks drew sharp criticism from medical bodies worldwide and left many pregnant women uncertain about what pain relief was safe.

What the research examined

Experts say this latest research, published in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Women’s Health, is among the most rigorous analyses ever conducted on the issue. The review analysed 43 high-quality studies involving hundreds of thousands of women. Crucially, it focused on robust comparisons, including sibling studies, which allow researchers to rule out different genes and family environments as explanations for developmental outcomes.

The authors also prioritised studies with low risk of bias and those that followed children for more than five years. Across this data, they found no evidence linking paracetamol use in pregnancy to autism, ADHD or intellectual disability.

Lead author Professor Asma Khalil said, "When we did this analysis, we found no links, there was no association, there's no evidence that paracetamol increases the risk of autism. The message is clear – paracetamol remains a safe option during pregnancy when taken as guided".

Why this matters for mothers

Medical guidance already warns that untreated pain or high fever during pregnancy can itself be harmful, increasing the risk of miscarriage, premature birth or developmental complications. Paracetamol is widely recommended as the first-line treatment because alternatives such as ibuprofen carry known risks later in pregnancy.