{"id":163992,"date":"2025-09-17T21:16:08","date_gmt":"2025-09-17T21:16:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/163992\/"},"modified":"2025-09-17T21:16:08","modified_gmt":"2025-09-17T21:16:08","slug":"research-doesnt-show-using-tylenol-during-pregnancy-causes-autism-here-are-5-things-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/163992\/","title":{"rendered":"Research doesn\u2019t show using Tylenol during pregnancy causes autism. Here are 5 things to know"},"content":{"rendered":"

This article originally appeared on PolitiFact<\/a>.<\/p>\n

For years, Tylenol has generally been considered safe for treating pain and fever \u2014 even during pregnancy, when doctors discourage patients from using many medications. <\/p>\n

Doctors might even recommend taking Tylenol for pain or fever during pregnancy, because left untreated, they can pose their own health risks. <\/p>\n

WATCH: Trump claims \u2018we maybe know\u2019 the cause of autism, teases September announcement<\/a><\/p>\n

But recent news reports about the federal government connecting Tylenol to autism have drawn fresh questions about the drug, and concerns. <\/p>\n

A few things are clear.<\/p>\n

After years of research, no study has shown that acetaminophen, the main ingredient in Tylenol, causes autism. There\u2019s no known single cause<\/a> of autism, a neurological condition that influences how someone acts and communicates.<\/p>\n

But some scientific terms, like \u201cassociation,\u201d can confuse the issue. There\u2019s some research that says there\u2019s an association between taking acetaminophen during pregnancy and autism. There\u2019s also some research that says there\u2019s not an association. <\/p>\n

READ MORE: Fact-checking RFK Jr.\u2019s claim that environmental toxins cause autism<\/a><\/p>\n

But either way, there\u2019s an important caveat: \u201cAssociation\u201d is not the same as causation. That means that research showing an association between the medication and autism doesn\u2019t mean the medication caused autism. <\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what else you should know.<\/p>\n

#1: Doctors say it\u2019s safe to use acetaminophen to reduce fever and pain during pregnancy.<\/p>\n

After the Wall Street Journal reported<\/a> on Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.\u2019s plans to link Tylenol to autism, leading maternal and prenatal care organizations reiterated their longstanding support for using acetaminophen during pregnancy. <\/p>\n

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists<\/a> and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine said acetaminophen is a safe way to treat pain and fever when used in moderation. <\/p>\n

\u201cPregnant patients should not be frightened away from the many benefits of acetaminophen, which is safe and one of the few options pregnant people have for pain relief,\u201d said Dr. Christopher Zahn<\/a>, ACOG\u2019s chief of clinical practice. <\/p>\n

In fact, Dr. Salena Zanotti, an obstetrician and gynecologist, told Cleveland Clinic<\/a> earlier this year that acetaminophen is considered the safest drug to take during pregnancy for fever and pain. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you\u2019re pregnant, it\u2019s riskier to have an untreated fever than it is to take acetaminophen,\u201d Zanotti said.<\/p>\n

Other common pain relievers such as ibuprofen or naproxen \u2014 often sold as Advil or Aleve, respectively \u2014 aren\u2019t recommended during pregnancy because they could harm fetal development, Zanotti said. The Food and Drug Administration said<\/a> as much in 2023, advising that such nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, shouldn\u2019t be used during pregnancy after 20 weeks of gestation.<\/p>\n

#2: Having an untreated fever while pregnant can harm a baby.<\/p>\n

Ignoring medical conditions such as fever that could be treated with acetaminophen during pregnancy is \u201cfar more dangerous than theoretical concerns based on inconclusive reviews of conflicting science,\u201d Zahn said. <\/p>\n

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says<\/a> that<\/a> fever<\/a> during pregnancy has been linked to adverse outcomes including birth defects. <\/p>\n

Untreated fever and pain during pregnancy has maternal and infant health risks, including preterm birth, according to the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine<\/a>. <\/p>\n

#3: Research has not shown that using acetaminophen during pregnancy causes autism.<\/p>\n

No study has shown using acetaminophen during pregnancy causes developmental disabilities \u2014 including autism. <\/p>\n

But the language used in scientific research can be confusing. Words like \u201ccorrelation,\u201d \u201cassociation,\u201d and \u201cincreased risk,\u201d in studies about acetaminophen use during pregnancy do not mean that the medication caused a disability like autism. <\/p>\n

\u201cBoth \u2018association\u2019 and \u2018increased risk\u2019 are very different from \u2018proven causal link,\u2019\u201d said Christopher J. Smith, chief science officer at Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center. <\/p>\n

\"Tylenol<\/p>\n

Tylenol brand pain relief medicine is seen on display at the Safeway store in Wheaton, Maryland, on Feb. 13, 2015. Photo by Gary Cameron\/ Reuters<\/p>\n

The FDA<\/a>, the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine<\/a> and ACOG have all reviewed the available research on acetaminophen use during pregnancy and subsequent neurodevelopmental issues in children and found no evidence proving the medication caused those disabilities, Zahn said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe vast majority of the studies done on acetaminophen use in pregnancy are inconclusive and unable to confirm a causal relationship between the prudent use of acetaminophen during pregnancy and fetal developmental issues,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

#4: Some research has shown possible associations between prenatal acetaminophen exposure and childhood development \u2014 but here\u2019s what that means.<\/p>\n

For more than<\/a> a decade<\/a>, scientists have investigated potential associations between using acetaminophen during pregnancy and developmental disabilities. <\/p>\n

Some studies have found positive associations between acetaminophen and autism, meaning children whose mothers took the drug during pregnancy were more likely to later have autism symptoms<\/a> or be diagnosed with autism<\/a>. <\/p>\n

A 2025 Mount Sinai study<\/a> that reviewed some existing research concluded the available evidence supported an association between prenatal acetaminophen exposure and increased incidence of neurodevelopmental disorders. <\/p>\n

But the largest study<\/a> on this topic, from 2024, found no evidence<\/a> supporting an increased risk of autism, attention-deficit\/hyperactivity disorder or intellectual disability associated with acetaminophen use during pregnancy. <\/p>\n

The 2024 study is one<\/a> of the two<\/a> highest quality studies on the topic, Zahn said, and neither found an association between acetaminophen use and adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes.<\/p>\n

What does this mean for confused parents? Associations between acetaminophen and autism are \u201cbased on limited, conflicting, and inconsistent science and is premature given the current science,\u201d according to the Autism Science Foundation<\/a>.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s yet another wrinkle: the potential for \u201cpublication bias<\/a>,\u201d a phrase that describes when scientific publications avoid publishing findings that don\u2019t show significant associations. That means studies that don\u2019t find an association between autism and acetaminophen are less likely to be accepted for publication, said Dr. Judette Louis, dean of Old Dominion University\u2019s medical school and chair of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine publications committee. <\/p>\n

#5: An association between prenatal acetaminophen exposure and autism might be explained by other factors.<\/p>\n

Research has shown that genetics plays a role in autism. Hundreds of genes have been linked to autism, as have some environmental factors<\/a> such as how old parents are when a child is conceived, low birth weights, and fever or illness during pregnancy, the Autism Science Foundation<\/a> said.<\/p>\n

Brian Lee, a Drexel University epidemiology professor, coauthored the 2024 study<\/a>, which evaluated data on nearly 2.5 million births in Sweden from 1995 to 2019 to assess acetaminophen use during pregnancy and the risk of autism. The study initially replicated a small statistical association between acetaminophen use and the risk of autism and ADHD, Lee said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowever, when we did a sibling analysis that compared siblings (born to the same mother), the association completely went away,\u201d he said. \u201cWe do the sibling analysis because it allows us to control for genetic and environmental factors that we do not otherwise have data on.\u201d<\/p>\n

The sibling analysis showed that other factors caused the initial statistical association, Lee said. The paper highlighted the possibility that genetics acted as a variable that could predict both a mother\u2019s use of pain relief medication and a child\u2019s risk of autism. <\/p>\n

A mother\u2019s genetic predisposition for autism and ADHD, which is also genetic<\/a>, is associated<\/a> with \u201cgreater pregnancy pain, more headache and migraine, and more use of pain-relieving medications,\u201d Lee said. In other words, mothers who are genetically predisposed toward autism or ADHD are more likely to have conditions that cause them to use acetaminophen \u2014 and that same genetic predisposition could be what increases the likelihood of a child having those conditions.<\/p>\n

Another consideration: Many studies rely on parents self-reporting acetaminophen use, so the data could be unreliable. <\/p>\n

Someone might be more likely to remember taking acetaminophen during pregnancy if their child has autism or ADHD, for example \u2014 especially if they think there could be a connection between the drug and the diagnosis, according to Dr. Erin Clark<\/a>, a University of Utah obstetrics and gynecology professor. A person might also be less likely to remember taking acetaminophen during pregnancy if their child hasn\u2019t received such a diagnosis.<\/p>\n

Zoe Gross, director of advocacy at the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, said other considerations might explain any association between acetaminophen and autism. Conditions that cause someone to take acetaminophen during pregnancy \u2014 such as fever or migraine \u2014 might increase the likelihood that a child will be autistic. <\/p>\n

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