Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
US PRESIDENT DONALD Trump has urged pregnant people not to take the pain medication Tylenol over an unproven link to autism, although medical professionals have long cited it as among the safest painkillers to take during pregnancy.
Speaking at a news conference at the White House today, he also said without evidence that there’s “no reason” to vaccinate newborns against the incurable, highly contagious Hepatitis B.
The active ingredient in Tylenol is paracetamol, also known as Aacetaminophen. The medication has been available over-the-counter in America since 1960.
A spokesperson for Kenvue, the company who makes Tylenol, told The Journal that they “strongly disagree” with Trump’s suggestion about Tylenol, citing science-based evidence against it.
Trump said: “Taking Tylenol is not good, alright, I’ll say it. It’s not good.”
“For this reason, they are strongly recommending that women limit Tylenol use during pregnancy unless medically necessary. That’s for instance, in cases of extremely high fever that you feel you can’t tough it out.”
The ingredient is widely accepted as safe for pregnancy. The HSE website said: “Paracetamol is safe to take in pregnancy and while breastfeeding, at recommended doses.”
A spokesperson for Kenvue said: ““We believe independent, sound science clearly shows that taking acetaminophen does not cause autism.”
“We strongly disagree with any suggestion otherwise and are deeply concerned with the health risk this poses for expecting mothers.”
They said Acetaminophen is the “safest pain reliever” for pregnant women, and without it women have to endure potentially harmful symptoms such as fever, or use riskier alternatives.
“The facts are that over a decade of rigorous research, endorsed by leading medical professionals and global health regulators, confirms there is no credible evidence linking acetaminophen to autism. We stand with the many public health and medical professionals who have reviewed this science and agree.”
The news came as the US pharmaceutical regulator approved the drug leucovorin a concentrated form of folic acid, for the treatment of autism.
Identifying the cause of autism – a complex condition connected to brain development that many experts believe occurs for predominantly genetic reasons – has been a pet cause of Trump’s controversial health chief Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Earlier this year, Kennedy – well-known for his anti-vaccine views and penchant for conspiracy theories – vowed he would release findings regarding autism’s cause by September 2025.
The administration’s recent initiative to uncover autism’s roots has been widely criticized. Kennedy has spent decades pushing discredited claims that link vaccines to autism.
He touted the drug leucovorin, a form of vitamin B first used to alleviate chemotherapy side effects, as an “exciting therapy” that could help children with autism.
Trump’s second medical claim, urging major changes to the routine vaccine schedule given to infants, also flies in the face of broad medical consensus.
The best way to prevent maternal transmission of Hepatitis B, the vaccine Trump is advising against, is to vaccinate newborns within the first day of life.
Repeating anti-vaccine movement talking points, Trump said “I would say, wait until the baby is 12 years old and formed.”
In Ireland the Hepatitis B vaccine is given to all babies as part of the six in one vaccine that is given at two, four and six months of age.
The HSE website said: “Hepatitis B is preventable by using a safe and effective vaccine.”
With additional reporting from AFP.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say