SCIENTISTS have blasted Donald Trump for “peddling myths” and spreading “dangerous pseudo-science” after claiming that using paracetamol during pregnancy heightens the risk of autism in children.
The US president alleged there had been a “meteoric rise” in autism cases and suggested that Tylenol – sold as paracetamol in the UK – is a potential cause.
ReutersUS President Donald Trump made ‘pseudo-scientific’ claims about autism being caused by paracetamol use during pregnancy[/caption] AlamyHealth experts have condemned the announcement, saying it isn’t backed up by scientific evidence[/caption] ReutersHe also linked childhood vaccines to autism – a theory previously peddled by Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F Kennedy Jr[/caption]He didn’t provide evidence to back up his claims, which scientists and medical experts have rushed to condemn – insisting there is no proven link between paracetamol and autism.
Researchers described the announcement as “fearmongering” that sought to lay the blame for conditions like autism – thought to be rooted in genetics – on the actions of mothers.
Mel Merritt, head of policy and campaigns at the National Autistic Society, called the spiel “dangerous, anti-science and irresponsible”.
She said: “President Trump is peddling the worst myths of recent decades. Such dangerous pseudo-science is putting pregnant women and children at risk and devaluing autistic people.
“Let’s be clear – painkillers do not cause autism and vaccines do not cause autism.
“Large-scale studies have shown that there is no robust, scientific evidence to support this claim.”
Meanwhile, Health Secretary Wes Streeting told Brits: “Don’t pay any attention whatsoever to what Donald Trump says about medicine.
“Listen to British doctors, British scientists, the NHS.”
WHAT IS AUTISM?
Autism is not an illness or disease that needs to be ‘cured’.
The condition influences how people experience and interact with the world, and people with it may find socialising confusing or tiring, and find loud or busy places overwhelming.
They may have intense interests, prefer order and routine, and use repeated movements or actions to calm themselves or express joy.
Many ‘mask’ their discomfort to try and fit in.
In the UK, it’s thought at least 700,000 adults and children have the condition, according to the National Autistic Society.
Diagnoses are increasing, with a 2021 study finding a 787 per cent rise between 1998 and 2018 in the UK.
There is not a causal relationship between paracetamol use and children’s likelihood of developing autism or ADHD. This shouldn’t be on the list of concerns for parents
Dr Renee GardnerKarolinska InstitutetWHAT HAS TRUMP CLAIMED?
Speaking from the White House, Trump declared: “Taking Tylenol is not good.”
He urged pregnant women in pain to “fight like hell” to avoid taking the drug, which he claimed carries with it a “very increased risk of autism”.
Trump told women to only take the drug if they had an “extremely high fever”.
“Ideally, you don’t take it at all,” he said.
The administration has also pledged to ramp up production of Leucovorin, a form of folic acid typically used in cancer treatment to counter side effects from other drugs, for use with autism patients.
AFPPresident Trump told pregnant women not to use Tylenol, going against health recommendations[/caption]WHAT DOES THE SCIENCE SAY?
The Trump administration seems to have taken cues from a recently published review of 46 studies published in the journal Environmental Health.
Andrea Baccarelli, dean of the faculty at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, who led the study, told The Sun he’d discussed the findings with Robert F. Kennedy Jr “in recent weeks”.
The review suggested taking painkillers during pregnancy increased children’s risk of neurodevelopmental disorders like autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
But it only showed a link between painkiller use and autism – not cause and effect.
This means it doesn’t show that paracetamol directly causes autism.
Sun GP Dr Zoe Williams explained: “Concerns raised by many studies are not as straightforward as they might seem.
“Retrospective studies can highlight associations but cannot prove cause and effect.
“For example, one common reason pregnant women take paracetamol is to reduce fever.
“If later analyses show their children have higher rates of developmental difficulties, it is difficult to determine whether the medication itself was responsible or whether the fever contributed to the outcome.”
Dr Baccarelli said: “Further research is needed to confirm the association and determine causality, but based on existing evidence, I believe that caution about acetaminophen use during pregnancy – especially heavy or prolonged use – is warranted.”
Pregnant women are already contacting their local pharmacists asking about the impact of paracetamol following President Trump’s claim
Dr Leyla HannbeckIPADr Zoe told The Sun: “There are many higher quality studies which have looked for and found no relationship between the unborn baby being exposed to paracetamol and subsequent autism, ADHD or intellectual disability.
“The most important was a Swedish study of 2.4 million births published in 2024 which used actual sibling data – making it a superior study.”
The widely cited and respected research by the Karolinska Institute – published in the journal JAMA – found no link at all between paracetamol use during pregnancy and the development of autism.
Key characteristics of autism
These are some features of autism that many people with it experience. Autism is a spectrum, so everyone shows symptoms differently.
Sensitive to senses
Autistic people can be much more or less sensitive than non-autistic people to the five main senses (sight, sound, touch, taste and smell).
This also extends to senses for balance, movement, spatial awareness and awareness of internal states, such as hunger and temperature.
Social differences
People with autism may find social interactions harder because they have difficulty; interpratiting social cues; facial expressions; maintaining eye contact; recognising sarcasm.
They may find tehy prefer to spend time alone because social interactions can be confusing.
Autism can be verbal (someone who uses communication) or non-verbal (they use other means to communicate). People can flit between the two.
Repetitive behaviours
‘Restricted and repetitive behaviours and interests’ is often listed as a trait of autism, but the National Autistic Society says many people with the condition actually find these behaviours as positive and helpful.
It is also sometimes referred to as stimming or self-regulatory behaviour.
Examples include having a strong passion or interest in a hobby, repeated behaviours like hair twirling or rocking, and preference for routine or rules to be followed.
Emotional dysregulation
People with autism may struggle to manage feelings such as frustration, anxiety, or sadness, which could lead to a ‘meltdown’ (extreme or intense outburst of emotions) or ‘shutdown’ (withdrawal).
Source: National Autistic Society
Researchers combed through maternal care records and midwife reports from everyone born in Sweden between 1995 and 2019 to identify 186,000 children whose mums were treated with paracetamol during pregnancy.
Researchers then compared siblings whose mums had taken paracetamol in one pregnancy but hadn’t in another and found no differences between them.
When researchers also factored genetics and “infections and migraines” – conditions that would cause mums to reach for painkillers in the first place – into their analysis, they found no link between paracetamol use in pregnancy and autism.
Dr Renee Gardner, associate professor of epidemiology and researcher at the department of global public health at Karolinska Institutet, who co-authored the study alongside Brian Lee, told The Sun: “I feel quite confident that there is not a causal relationship between paracetamol use and children’s likelihood of developing a condition like autism or ADHD.
“The big picture that we get from this study is that this shouldn’t be on the list of concerns for parents.”
WHY ARE TRUMP’S COMMENTS HARMFUL?
The Trump administration’s warning could create undue concern or fear among parents, Dr Gardner pointed out.
She said: “The worst situation is a pregnant mother who had a fever last week now spending the rest of her pregnancy worrying that she’s done something to change the development of her baby’s brain.”
In fact, Dr Leyla Hannbeck, CEO of Independent Pharmacies Association (IPA), told The Sun: “Pregnant women are already contacting their local pharmacists asking about the impact of paracetamol following President Trump’s claim.”
Trump’s move also dredges up a “dark history” of blaming mums for neurodevelopmental difficulties in children, Dr Gardner went on.
“When we first started to recognise autism in the population, at first it was the mothers who were blamed for the condition, so it’s a little bit of a worrisome signal that perhaps we’re going to repeat ourselves,” she stated.
Paracetamol remains the recommended pain relief option for pregnant women when used as directed
Dr Alison CaveMHRANor is it helpful to frame conditions like autism as something to be fixed or cured.
UK scientists feared the announcement could stop pregnant women from getting proper care.
Dr Monique Botha, associate professor in social and developmental psychology at Durham University, said: “Pain relief for pregnant women is woefully lacking and paracetamol is a much safer pain relief option during pregnancy than basically any other alternative, and we need to take pain seriously for women including whilst pregnant.
“The fearmongering will prevent women from accessing the appropriate care during pregnancy.”
Dr Zoe added: “Suggesting to pregnant women that this drug is unsafe will cause unnecessary anxiety to women who already feel vulnerable and overwhelmed.
“This is another example of harmful misinformation implying that women should be deprived of well-tested and much-needed medication in pregnancy.”
IS PARACETAMOL SAFE IN PREGNANCY?
Paracetamol is currently the only over-the-counter painkiller recommended by the NHS for pregnant women to treat pain and a fever.
“It’s commonly taken during pregnancy and does not harm your baby,” guidance states.
It recommends expectant mums take the painkiller “for the shortest possible time” and get advice from their pharmacist, midwife or GP about how much to take and for how long.
If symptoms don’t go away, patients should speak to a healthcare professional for advice.
Taking paracetamol
Paracetamol is a common painkiller used to treat aches and pain.
It can also be used to reduce a high temperature.
It’s safe to take paracetamol regularly for many years, as long as you do not take more than the recommended dose, the NHS says.
It is also safe to take paracetamol with most prescription medicines, including antibiotics.
Paracetamol is also safe to take during pregnancy and while breastfeeding, at recommended doses.
However, paracetamol is not suitable for some people.
Talk to your doctor if you take:
Warfarin, a medicine to prevent blood clots – paracetamol can increase the risk of bleeding if you take it regularly Medicine to treat epilepsy Medicine to treat tuberculosis (TB)Dr Alison Cave, Chief Safety Officer at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), said: “There is no evidence that taking paracetamol during pregnancy causes autism in children.
“Paracetamol remains the recommended pain relief option for pregnant women when used as directed.
“Pregnant women should continue to follow existing NHS guidance and speak to their healthcare professional if they have questions about any medication during pregnancy.
“Untreated pain and fever can pose risks to the unborn baby, so it is important to manage these symptoms with the recommended treatment.”
WHAT ABOUT VACCINES?
President Trump also linked autism to childhood vaccines, claiming: “There are certain groups of people that don’t take vaccines and don’t take any pills, that have no autism.”
In 1998, a now-redacted study falsely claimed that the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine caused autism in children.
Since then, research has comprehensively debunked this, showing that there is no link between autism and vaccines.
World Health Organization spokesperson Tarik Jaarevi said on Tuesday: “We know that vaccines do not cause autism. Vaccines save countless lives.
“This is something that science has proven, and these things should not be really questioned.”
WHAT CAUSES AUTISM?
Research suggests that autism develops from a combination of genetic and environmental influences.
It often runs in families, with 60–90 per cent of the risk coming from genes, according to Autism Speaks.
Factors such as older parents, air pollution, obesity or diabetes in pregnancy, extreme prematurity, low birth weight and birth complications may all raise risk.
Most people exposed to an environmental risk factor for autism will not develop the disorder.
In their research, Dr Gardner and her colleagues found some evidence that anaemia early on in pregnancy or being unable to gain enough weight could be linked to a higher risk of children developing autism.
She added: “But by and large, the biggest thing that explains it is the genetic background.
“Genetics is huge, and any of these things that I’ve mentioned are very small nudges, one way or the other.”
WHAT ARE THE SIGNS YOUR CHILD MIGHT BE AUTISTIC?
Autism is understood as a spectrum, so the condition presents differently in everyone.
In order for someone to be diagnosed, they need to show signs that align with core autism characteristics: differences in social communication and interaction and restricted and repetitive behaviours and interests.
Your child may show signs like:
Not seeming to understand what others are thinking or feeling Unusual speech, such as repeating phrases and talking ‘at’ others Liking a strict daily routine and getting very upset if it changes Having a very keen interest in certain subjects or activities Getting very upset if you ask them to do something Finding it hard to make friends or preferring to be on their own Taking things very literally – for example, they may not understand phrases like “break a leg” Finding it hard to say how they feelGet advice from a GP, therapist or special educational needs staff at your child’s school if you think your tot might have autism.
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF YOU ARE WORRIED?
If you’re pregnant and have questions about what medication you can take during pregnancy and how much, speak to a healthcare professional.
Ms Merritt said: “Understandably, autistic people will be dismayed and frightened by this announcement.
“We urge anyone looking for information about autism to visit websites from trusted organisations such as the NHS and the National Autistic Society.”
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