Paracetamol and pregnancy: The European and British health authorities reiterated that paracetamol (acetaminophen) remains safe to use during pregnancy when taken at the lowest effective dose for the shortest possible time, rejecting claims that the medicine causes autism.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said it has seen no new evidence that would warrant changing current guidance. Britain’s regulator has issued the same conclusion. Both positions counter recent remarks by US President Donald Trump, who linked autism to childhood vaccines and to Tylenol use in pregnancy, assertions that major medical bodies say are not supported by science.
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The World Health Organization (WHO) said research on any association between prenatal paracetamol exposure and autism is inconsistent, noting that some studies hint at a signal but others fail to confirm it. Given the lack of replicability, the agency urged caution in drawing causal conclusions and reiterated that vaccines do not cause autism.
Adding to the evidence base, Viktor Ahlqvist, lead author of a large Swedish cohort analysis covering 2.5 million pregnancies, said his team found no support for the idea that paracetamol in pregnancy causes autism. He noted that adverse outcomes can correlate with medication use during pregnancy, often reflecting the underlying condition rather than the drug itself.
In a White House address this week, President Donald Trump repeatedly advised people “don’t take Tylenol” (paracetamol) in pregnancy and linked the drug to autism. He paired that with renewed doubts about childhood vaccines and their timing, suggesting they shouldn’t be given together or so early in life, positions that run counter to medical consensus.
