There has been ongoing rebuttal to U.S. President Donald Trump's claim that taking the fever and pain reliever Tylenol during pregnancy increases the risk of giving birth to a child with autism. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Union (EU) have also stated that there is no evidence to support this claim.
On the 23rd (local time), WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic responded to a question during a press briefing about the association between Tylenol use during pregnancy and autism, saying that while there are some observational studies, "the evidence is inconsistent."
Spokesperson Jasarevic stated, "If there were a strong association between acetaminophen and autism, it would have been consistently observed across multiple studies," adding, "The lack of reproducibility shows that caution is needed before drawing hasty conclusions about the role of acetaminophen in autism."
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) also stated on the same day, "In the EU, paracetamol (acetaminophen) can be used during pregnancy to relieve pain or fever when clinically necessary," and, "there is currently no new evidence that would warrant changing the EU's usage recommendations." The EMA added that paracetamol can be used during pregnancy at the minimum effective dose and frequency when needed.
Viktor Ahlqvist, a researcher who investigated the association between paracetamol use and autism in 2.5 million pregnancy cases in Sweden, also pointed out, "We found no evidence that taking paracetamol during pregnancy causes autism."
He explained that it is not the medication itself, but rather the underlying health condition requiring the medication that may be problematic, and that any type of drug exposure during pregnancy could potentially have a negative impact on the child. He further suggested that the Trump administration appears to have misunderstood the evidence.
The previous day, President Trump held a press conference at the White House, stating that taking Tylenol during pregnancy increases the risk of autism and that he would notify physicians of this through the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
However, in the United States as well, there continues to be opposition pointing out that there is no clear scientific evidence proving a link between Tylenol use and giving birth to a child with autism. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has also stated that Tylenol is safe for pregnant women.
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