President Donald Trump pushed the unproven claim that paracetamol and vaccinations are linked to a ‘horrible crisis’ of autism and its ‘meteoric rise’ in the US.
Trump urged pregnant women not to take Tylenol – which is the brand name used for paracetamol in the US – unless they have very high fevers and they ‘can’t tough it out’.
He also claimed that communities like the Amish ‘don’t have autism’ in his rambling speech.
‘Horrible, horrible crisis,’ Trump said of autism at the start of his remarks from the Roosevelt Room of the White House today.
‘The meteoric rise in autism is among the most alarming public health developments in history. There’s never been anything like this.’
Turning to health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, who claimed there are studies that suggest there are no cases in the Amish, Trump added: ‘The Amish. Yeah, I heard none. See, Bobby wants to be careful with what he says, and he should, but I’m not so careful with what I say.
‘The Amish, for example, essentially have no autism.’
Trump claimed that autism rates have surged more than 400% since 2000 – but in that time, diagnoses have become easier to get and the term has expanded to include Asperger’s Syndrome and other offshoots of Autism.
‘Instead of attacking those who ask questions, everyone should be grateful to those trying to get answers to this complex situation,’ Trump said.
Trump added that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would be issuing a notice that using the drug during pregnancy ‘can be associated with a very increased of autism, so taking Tylenol is not good’.
The president repeatedly said that ‘there is no downside in not taking it’.
‘When you have your baby, don’t give your baby Tylenol’ unless it’s ‘absolutely necessary’, he said. ‘Fight like hell not to take it’.
The president said he had been ‘waiting for this meeting for 20 years’ and met with Robert F Kennedy Jr, now his health and human services secretary, about the issue while he was a real estate developer in New York.
Trump also said that babies are receiving too many vaccines, comparing it to ‘shooting up a horse’.
Speaking after Trump, Kennedy said the FDA is ‘responding to clinical and laboratory studies’ suggesting a possible link between using acetaminophen while pregnant and disorders like autism and ADHD. Tylenol is the best-selling form of acetaminophen in the US.
Fact check: yes, Amish communities have autism
The Amish are a traditional Christian community which have roots in parts of the United States. They live simply, in secluded communities, and reject many modern ways of living.
Trump’s claim that the Amish ‘don’t have autism’ simply isn’t true.
The cultural and religious beliefs of the Amish mean that diagnosing, or even recognising autism, is difficult.
Many studies have debunked the rumour that Trump has pushed into the mainstream. In 2008, the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders found that autism among the Amish is similar to levels in other populations.
Kennedy added that the FDA will notify doctors about the risk of acetaminophen to pregnant women and that drugmakers will be ordered to add safety warnings on the labels.
He said that the National Institutes of Health has been focused ‘almost solely on politically safe and entirely fruitless research’ about what causes autism.
The FDA has also been directed to approve a decades-old generic drug, leucovorin, for autistic children. Studies have suggested that leucovorin could help children with autism symptoms, but the benefits still need to be confirmed through more studies.
UK experts have said Trump’s announcement that paracetamol use is ‘linked to autism’ is fearmongering.
Scientists and academics have since slammed the claim, with one saying the claim risks stigmatising families who have autistic children as ‘having brought it on themselves’.
It comes after Trump said on Saturday: ‘I think we found an answer to autism. I mean, for a little baby to be injected with that much fluid, even beyond the actual ingredients, they have sometimes 80 different vaccines in them. It’s crazy.
‘You know that’s a common sense thing too… It’s like you’re shooting up a horse. You have a little body, a little baby, and you’re pumping this big thing. It’s a horrible thing.’
The painkillers considered safe to use during pregnancy — and the ones to avoid
The last thing women need is a world leader delivering medical misinformation.
Paracetamol
Paracetamol is recommended as the ‘first-choice painkiller’ for pregnant women by the NHS.
Dr Alison Cave, chief safety officer at the MHRA, the UK’s regulator, said: ‘There is no evidence that taking paracetamol during pregnancy causes autism in children.’
Aspirin — low doses considered safe
Low-dose aspirin, such as 75mg, is considered safe to use throughout pregnancy, but always check with your midwife or doctor.
Ibuprofen – no
The use of ibuprofen during pregnancy is not advised by the NHS unless prescribed by a doctor.
Deborah Grayson, a qualified British pharmacist who runs Practice With Confidence and is known as the Godmother of Pharmacology on TikTok,told Metro this is because Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs), like ibuprofen ‘can have risks at all stages’ during pregnancy.
Codeine — avoid unless prescribed
The NHS advises avoiding opiate painkillers during pregnancy.
The NHS says paracetamol is the first choice of painkiller if you’re pregnant, and is commonly taken during pregnancy and does not harm your baby.
Dr Monique Botha, associate professor in social and developmental psychology at Durham University, added: ‘There are many studies which refute a link, but the most important was a Swedish study of 2.4 million births published in 2024 which used actual sibling data and found no relationship between exposure to paracetamol in utero and subsequent autism, ADHD or intellectual disability.
‘This suggests no causal effect of paracetamol in autism. I am exceptionally confident in saying that no relationship exists.’
Dr Both said that pain relief for pregnant women is already lacking, so ‘fearmongering’ the safe options will make things worse.
Dimitrios Siassakos, professor in obstetrics and gynaecology at University College London and honorary consultant in obstetrics at University College London Hospital (UCLH), said: ‘Autism results from several factors, often combined, particularly genetic predisposition, and sometimes low oxygen at the time of birth as a result of complications.
‘Research has shown that any apparent marginal increase as a result of paracetamol/acetaminophen use in pregnancy tends to disappear when the analyses take into account the factors that matter most.’
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Professor Claire Anderson, president of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, said: ‘Paracetamol has been used safely by millions of people for decades, including during pregnancy, when taken as directed.
‘It is the first-line choice for pain management and fever control in a variety of patients, including pregnant women, children and the elderly.
‘A large study conducted in 2024 found no evidence of a link between paracetamol use in pregnancy and an increased risk of autism in children.’
Before Trump’s remarks, Kenvue, which markets Tylenol, denied a link between using the pull during pregnancy and autism.
‘We believe independent, sound science clearly shows that taking acetaminophen does not cause autism,’ said Kenvue spokeswoman Melissa Witt.
‘We strongly disagree with any suggestion otherwise and are deeply concerned with the health risk this poses for expectant mothers.’
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