President Donald Trump shook the medical community on Monday when he stood in the Roosevelt Room of the White House and urged pregnant women not to take acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol. \u201cTaking Tylenol is not good,\u201d Trump declared. He said the Food and Drug Administration would notify doctors that acetaminophen during pregnancy may carry \u201ca very increased risk of autism.\u201d Trump stressed that women should avoid the drug unless absolutely necessary. \u201cThey are strongly recommending that women limit Tylenol use during pregnancy unless medically necessary. That is, for instance, in cases of extremely high fever that you feel you can\u2019t tough it out,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Flanked by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary, NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, and CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, Trump linked his comments to a broader critique of standard pediatric care. He questioned the practice of vaccinating newborns for hepatitis B, saying, \u201cI would say, wait until the baby is 12 years old and formed.\u201d He argued that infants are overwhelmed by \u201ctoo much liquid, too many different things\u201d given through early vaccination schedules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump called the rising rates of autism a \u201chorrible, horrible crisis\u201d and one of \u201cthe most alarming developments in history.\u201d He argued that the United States cannot afford to move slowly on the issue. \u201cWe have to move quicker,\u201d he said, thanking Kennedy for bringing autism \u201cto the forefront of American politics, along with me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The scientific picture is far from settled. A review of 46 studies published in BMC Environmental Health<\/em> found \u201cstrong evidence of an association\u201d between acetaminophen use in pregnancy and autism. However, the authors were clear that association does not equal causation. They recommended \u201cjudicious acetaminophen use \u2014 lowest effective dose, shortest duration \u2014 under medical guidance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other studies have reached opposite conclusions. A large 2024 Swedish study involving 2.4 million children found no link between prenatal acetaminophen exposure and autism, ADHD, or intellectual disabilities. Autism rates have risen significantly in the past two decades, but acetaminophen use has remained steady, suggesting that other factors are at play. Researchers often point to genetics, environmental exposures, expanded diagnostic criteria, and better screening as major contributors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some experts have raised concerns about how Trump\u2019s announcement was framed. Ann Bauer, an epidemiologist at the University of Massachusetts who worked on a Harvard-led study, acknowledged a possible risk signal but urged caution. \u201cI\u2019m a little concerned about how this message is going to come because I think they may be jumping the gun,\u201d Bauer said. \u201cI think those of us in the research community would like to see stronger evidence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Reaction from professional groups and physicians was swift and sharp. Dr. Steven J. Fleischman, president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, issued a statement saying, \u201cToday\u2019s announcement by HHS is not backed by the full body of scientific evidence and dangerously simplifies the many and complex causes of neurologic challenges in children.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Autism Science Foundation called the announcement \u201cdangerous.\u201d Its president, Alison Singer, said, \u201cNo new data or scientific studies were presented or shared. No new studies have been published in the literature. Instead, President Trump talked about what he thinks and feels without offering scientific evidence. It took me straight back to when moms were blamed for autism. That was shocking. Simply shocking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n David Mandell, a psychiatric epidemiologist at the University of Pennsylvania, told AFP that \u201cthe possible risks posed by taking such pain relief while pregnant seem to be lower than the risk of having an uncontrolled infection during pregnancy.\u201d He emphasized that understanding the interplay between genetics and environmental factors is \u201can area of critical research,\u201d but noted that rigorous studies would take \u201cdecades of study and funding.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr. Paul Offit, a pediatrician and former CDC vaccine adviser, went further, calling Trump\u2019s advice to \u201ctough it out\u201d irresponsible. \u201cThat only puts children at higher risk, especially with fever in the first trimester,\u201d Offit said. Dr. Arthur Caplan, a bioethicist at NYU, described the announcement as \u201cthe saddest display of a lack of evidence, rumors, recycling old myths, lousy advice, outright lies, and dangerous advice I have ever witnessed by anyone in authority in the world claiming to know anything about science.\u201d He added that what was said was \u201cnot only unsupported and wrong but flat out malpractice in managing pregnancy and protecting fetal life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tylenol maker Kenvue also rejected the claims outright. \u201cWe believe independent, sound science clearly shows that taking acetaminophen does not cause autism,\u201d the company said in a statement. \u201cWe strongly disagree with any suggestion otherwise and are deeply concerned about the health risks and confusion this poses for expecting mothers and parents.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite the criticisms, Trump and Kennedy remain undeterred. Kennedy said HHS would launch a public service campaign about Tylenol use in pregnancy, encourage cautious prescribing, and push for a label change on acetaminophen products. The FDA also announced it would begin sending letters to physicians noting that while associations have been observed, \u201ca causal relationship has not been established.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n For Trump and Kennedy, the lack of definitive science is precisely the problem. Trump suggested that communities with little access to acetaminophen have lower autism rates, saying, \u201cIn others, autism now affects one in 12 boys.\u201d Kennedy has long argued that environmental factors have been downplayed in autism research. He dismissed the explanation that rising diagnoses are simply due to broader definitions as a \u201ccanard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Their position is not without resonance. Many parents of autistic children have felt frustrated with what they view as a slow-moving medical establishment unwilling to challenge assumptions or pursue controversial questions. Trump cast the matter as one of urgency: \u201cThis administration is working together to ask big questions about why our nation\u2019s children are getting sick so fast too often. Medicine is doing small little studies, giving us answers we already knew, but we\u2019ve got to make a difference,\u201d Dr. Makary echoed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The controversy highlights a fundamental tension. Critics accuse Trump and Kennedy of irresponsibility, while they argue the medical establishment is guilty of complacency. Autism remains a condition with no single known cause, and decades of research have yet to produce clear answers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Trump\u2019s strategy is to force the issue. By making bold statements, he has ensured that acetaminophen \u2014 once considered the safest pain reliever for pregnancy \u2014 is now under intense public scrutiny. Whether the science ultimately vindicates him or not, he has succeeded in reopening a debate that many in the medical field preferred to leave settled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As Trump put it, \u201cThere\u2019s no downside.\u201d For him and Kennedy, the worst outcome is more research, more testing, and more attention to what they describe as one of the greatest public health crises of our time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n NP Editor:<\/strong> The only way we have a chance to see the connection is if women stop taking Tylenol during pregnancy. Since some of the studies have indicated a connection, why not be cautious. Trump\u2019s Announcement and Its Context President Donald Trump shook the medical community on Monday when he stood in the Roosevelt Room of the White House and urged pregnant women not to take acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol. \u201cTaking Tylenol is not good,\u201d Trump declared. He said the Food and Drug Administration would notify doctors that acetaminophen during pregnancy may carry \u201ca very increased risk of autism.\u201d Trump stressed that women should avoid the drug unless absolutely necessary. \u201cThey are […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":6538,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6537","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-threat-to-america","category-trump"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/trumpautismasdf.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6537","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6537"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6537\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6539,"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6537\/revisions\/6539"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6538"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6537"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6537"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6537"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Pushback from the Medical Establishment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Trump and Kennedy Challenge the Status Quo<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Absence of Evidence Is Not Evidence of Absence<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
But more importantly, he is shaking up a smug and stagnant status quo.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"