09/22/2025
Tylenol and Autism
Let’s Talk About Today’s Announcement
Today the Trump government announced that they found a link between Tylenol (acetaminophen) use during pregnancy and autism.
The FDA is even moving toward changing the safety label.
At first glance, this might sound alarming, but here’s why we need to pause, look at the science carefully, and avoid unnecessary fear, guilt, or blame.
The US government claims that observational studies show an association between frequent acetaminophen use during pregnancy and a higher risk of neurodevelopmental conditions like autism and ADHD.
The FDA has even started a process to change labeling and advising caution.
Importantly, experts in their own public statements emphasize that:
1. These are associations, not proof of causation.
2. Some studies show small increases in risk, others are inconclusive, and some show no effect at all.
3. Most of these studies are observational, which means they cannot rule out confounding factors like underlying illness, genetics, or the reason acetaminophen was used in the first place.
The evidence does say that there is no definitive proof that acetaminophen causes autism.
Causality has not been established.
There is no evidence that short-term or occasional use (such as treating a fever or relieving pain) is harmful. The potential signal, if real, seems linked to frequent or prolonged use.
The data do not support avoiding acetaminophen completely.
In fact, untreated high fever in pregnancy is dangerous and has been linked to serious risks: neural tube defects, congenital heart defects, oral clefts, stillbirth, and pre-term birth.
Telling a pregnant woman to “tough it out” through a high fever is not only irresponsible, it could directly harm both her and her baby.
Do autism rates appear higher today? Yes.
Some people use this news to reinforce the narrative that “something new” must be causing autism.
But what is often overlooked is that more than 100 different genes are involved in autism’s development, alongside multiple environmental factors.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is not a single disease but a broad neurodevelopmental variation with many presentations and rates of autism have risen partly because of better diagnostic tools, broader criteria, and greater awareness.
Conditions that were once diagnosed as separate are now recognized under one unified spectrum.
Wide-reaching announcements like today’s can cause more harm than good.
They create unnecessary anxiety and guilt in mothers who used Tylenol in past pregnancies.
They also discourage women from using a medication that may, in many cases, be the safest choice available.
Then, they confuse the public about what an “association” means compared with what actual cause-and-effect means.
They add to stigma by implying that a parent’s actions are solely to blame for their child’s condition, when in truth autism reflects complex biology and genetics far beyond any single exposure.
Autism is not a disease to be “cured.” It is a neurodevelopmental difference.
People with autism experience the world, relationships, and sensory input in ways that are different, not lesser.
When we reduce autism to something to blame on a single medication, we diminish the dignity and lived experience of autistic individuals and their families.
First, conspiracy theorists falsely linked autism to vaccines.
When that narrative was scientifically dismantled, attention shifted to other well-established, safe medications like Tylenol.
This cycle repeats: whenever one myth falls, another rises.
But the result is always the same: fear, guilt, and misinformation that harm more than they help.
Here’s where we agree: more research is needed.
Some higher-quality studies suggest associations, but when designs improve (such as sibling comparison studies), the signal gets weaker.
Medical organizations around the world still consider acetaminophen one of the safest over-the-counter options for pregnant women, especially compared with the risks of untreated fever or pain.
If you are pregnant, do not panic if you used Tylenol in the past.
If you need it now, use it at the lowest effective dose, for the shortest duration possible.
Discuss with your healthcare provider when medication is necessary and when alternatives might help.
Remember: untreated severe fever in pregnancy is far riskier than occasional, medically guided use of Tylenol.
Autism is far too complex to blame on a single medication.
Making sweeping announcements without clear causation risks doing irreversible damage to public trust and maternal health.
Let’s use this moment to promote awareness and compassion, not shame and fear.
💚 Dr. Jules
