US President Donald Trump announced plans advising doctors not to prescribe Tylenol to pregnant women, citing concerns over a disputed link between the drug and autism. Speaking from the Oval Office alongside Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr., Trump claimed that acetaminophen, the main ingredient in Tylenol, “is no good” for expecting mothers and should be taken only in extreme cases of fever.
While some studies have suggested a connection between prenatal Tylenol use and autism, the findings remain inconsistent and inconclusive. Tylenol’s manufacturer, Kenvue, strongly defended the drug, emphasizing that acetaminophen remains the safest pain reliever during pregnancy and warning against riskier alternatives if it were avoided.
Kennedy stated that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will issue a formal notice to physicians regarding the potential risks of Tylenol use during pregnancy. The FDA will also initiate safety label changes on the medication and launch a public health awareness campaign. Furthermore, the FDA plans to approve Leucovorin, a drug traditionally used to reduce chemotherapy toxicity, to treat children with autism.
Commissioner Marty Makary cited research suggesting that Leucovorin could help improve verbal communication in autistic children with folate deficiency, offering hope for new therapeutic options. The announcement has sparked debate among medical experts and advocacy groups, who stress the need for more conclusive research before changing prescribing guidelines. Some warn that discouraging acetaminophen use could lead to untreated pain or fever in pregnant women, which also carries risks. Meanwhile, the FDA’s move to approve Leucovorin as an autism treatment is being closely watched as a potential breakthrough in managing certain symptoms of the disorder.
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