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President Trump's Acetaminophen-Autism Claim Contradicted by Studies, Administration Addresses Autism Prevalence

President Trump's false claim linking acetaminophen to autism is refuted by studies and health experts. His administration is also taking urgent action to address autism prevalence.

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Overview

A summary of the key points of this story verified across multiple sources.

  • President Donald Trump falsely advised pregnant women to avoid acetaminophen, claiming a baseless link to autism, sparking controversy.
  • Major health organizations, medical consensus, and recent studies consistently reject any reliable evidence linking prenatal acetaminophen use to autism.
  • While a systematic review noted an association with neurodevelopmental disorders, it explicitly found no direct link between prenatal acetaminophen and autism.
  • Doctors, Tylenol manufacturer Kenvue, and studies affirm acetaminophen remains a safe and important option for pregnant women seeking relief from fever and pain.
  • Untreated fever during pregnancy poses significant risks, and President Trump's administration is taking urgent action to address the increasing prevalence of autism.
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Analysis

Compare how each side frames the story — including which facts they emphasize or leave out.

Center-leaning sources frame the story by consistently presenting political claims about acetaminophen and autism as "unproven" or "misinformation." They prioritize the overwhelming medical and scientific consensus affirming the drug's safety during pregnancy, emphasizing the risks of untreated fever and pain. This approach aims to reassure the public and counter politically driven health anxieties.

"The data cited do not support the claim that Tylenol causes autism and leucovorin is a cure, and only stoke fear and falsely suggest hope when there is no simple answer."

MIT Technology ReviewMIT Technology Review
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Article

"Despite what the administration would really like, there are no easy sort of explanations for this."

The DispatchThe Dispatch
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Limited access — this outlet restricts by article count and/or content type.
Article

"The federal government should step back and let evidence, not politics, drive progress, because children with autism benefit from answers, not edicts."

USA TODAYUSA TODAY
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Article

"During a press conference about Tylenol and autism risks, President Donald Trump repeated multiple inaccurate claims about a range of topics."

ABC NewsABC News
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Article

"The press conference held Monday by President Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was an abomination."

The Free PressThe Free Press
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Article

"Doctors said in interview that their advice hasn’t changed, in spite of the Trump administration’s concerns."

NBC NewsNBC News
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"Doctors also said they don’t want women to doubt what they did during pregnancy if their child does develop autism."

Chicago TribuneChicago Tribune
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Limited access — this outlet restricts by article count and/or content type.
Article

"Trump’s platforming of inaccurate health claims on the White House stage also concerns medical professionals, including some Republican lawmakers."

Associated PressAssociated Press
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Article

"Major medical organizations and scientific groups are reacting to the Trump administration's assertion on Monday that the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy, the main ingredient in the drug Tylenol, may be linked to autism, despite limited evidence to suggest the association."

ABC NewsABC News
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Article

"Trump’s comments left some pregnant women angry and others with questions."

Associated PressAssociated Press
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Article

"Trump’s comments came under intense criticism from medical experts and researchers — because there’s no proof tying the painkiller to autism."

Associated PressAssociated Press
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Article

"Worried parents might wonder how they're supposed to make decisions when the research community might debate autism and acetaminophen for years to come."

NPRNPR
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Article

"Health officials around the globe are rejecting President Trump's assertion that pregnant women should avoid taking acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, during pregnancy because of unfounded links to autism."

NPRNPR
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Article

"This does give us here at USA TODAY Opinion an opportunity to ask our readers about it with our latest Forum."

USA TODAYUSA TODAY
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Article

"Current medical guidelines say acetaminophen, the generic form of Tylenol, is safe to use, and decades of medical consensus indicate there is no single "cause" of autism, but rather multiple factors like genetics contribute."

USA TODAYUSA TODAY
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Article

"Trump urged pregnant women to “fight like hell not to take it.""

USA TODAYUSA TODAY
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Article

"Trump's remarks deviated from the more measured guidance offered by his health agencies in subsequent news releases and op-eds."

ABC NewsABC News
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Article

"The state of the country’s public health is bad now, but it could certainly get even worse from here on out."

GizmodoGizmodo
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Article

"Health experts from around the globe are joining the chorus of doctors and organizations pushing back against the Trump administration's announcement linking the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy to an increased risk of autism in children."

CBS NewsCBS News
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Article

"Medical experts said Trump’s remarks were irresponsible."

FortuneFortune
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Limited access — this outlet restricts by article count and/or content type.
Article

"The FDA wrote doctors on Monday advising them to minimize acetaminophen’s use during pregnancy but acknowledged uncertainty: “To be clear, while an association between acetaminophen and autism has been described in many studies, a causal relationship has not been established and there are contrary studies in the scientific literature.”"

FortuneFortune
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Limited access — this outlet restricts by article count and/or content type.
Article

"Bauer worries such statements will cut both ways: People may put themselves at risk to avoid vaccines and Tylenol, the only safe painkiller for use during pregnancy."

CBS NewsCBS News
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Article

"Trump's claims about the link between Tylenol and autism have been widely condemned by health experts as dangerous and irresponsible."

BBC NewsBBC News
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Article

"It's certainly a worthy area of study, but irresponsible for the president and top health officials to be making such bold claims."

ReasonReason
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Article

"The remarks, made alongside health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — a longtime critic of mainstream medicine — rattled doctors and drugmakers."

FortuneFortune
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Limited access — this outlet restricts by article count and/or content type.
Article

"Wes Streeting told ITV's Lorraine programme, adding that expectant mothers should not pay "any attention whatsoever" to the US president's unfounded claims."

BBC NewsBBC News
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Article

"Health officials across the globe on Tuesday rejected President Donald Trump's warning that pregnant women should limit the use of Tylenol over unsubstantiated claims of a link to autism."

NBC NewsNBC News
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Article

"Medical bodies say the drug is safe and that it remains the best treatment for pain and fever during pregnancy."

BBC NewsBBC News
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Article

"Above all else, it showed, once again, how spectacularly ignorant and irresponsible our president is."

USA TODAYUSA TODAY
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Article

"The oversimplification of a complex developmental difference that exists on a spectrum of many different abilities and experiences is dehumanizing at best and dangerous at its worst, autism experts, advocacy groups and members of the community told USA TODAY."

USA TODAYUSA TODAY
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Article

"Trump's remarks included many of his own unverfied medical opinions, but also outlined concrete steps that the federal government will take to educate pregnant women on Tylenol and discourage doctors and other health care providers from overprescribing."

USA TODAYUSA TODAY
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Article

"The administration also announced on Monday that it is starting an approval process for a drug called leucovorin, despite limited evidence of benefit."

ABC NewsABC News
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Article

"The government’s approach to autism and research is now taking shape."

GizmodoGizmodo
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Article

"The bulk of scientific research hasn’t identified a link between acetaminophen and autism."

NBC NewsNBC News
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Article

"The announcement is the latest step the administration, driven by Kennedy and his supporters, has taken to reshape America’s public health landscape."

Associated PressAssociated Press
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Article

"Most experts say it is likely due to a combination of factors, including changes in the way the condition is diagnosed."

CBS NewsCBS News
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Article

"The alleged link between Tylenol use during pregnancy and the development of autism is not entirely bunkum, but it also is far from proven."

ARS TechnicaARS Technica
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Article

"The suggestion that a single medication could counteract the effects of autism is sure to be controversial."

USA TODAYUSA TODAY
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Article

"The Trump administration, however, has made repeated claims about its plans to find the "cause" for autism, despite decades of medical and scientific consensus indicating that there is no singular source, including medication, that can be attributed to the condition, and that it is likely the result of multiple contributing factors, including genetics."

USA TODAYUSA TODAY
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Article

"The weight of scientific evidence that acetaminophen use during pregnancy causes an increased risk for autism or ADHD is simply inconclusive."

USA TODAYUSA TODAY
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Article

"The Trump administration is expected to assert later today that use of acetaminophen — the active ingredient in Tylenol — can increase the risk of autism when used during pregnancy, despite the fact that scientific research has not conclusively demonstrated a causal link."

NPRNPR
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Article

"Experts have cautioned that finding the causes of autism - a complex syndrome that has been researched for decades - would not be simple."

BBC NewsBBC News
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Article

"Despite a lack of scientific evidence supporting the link, US President Donald Trump is expected to say that using Tylenol during pregnancy raises the risk of autism."

SemaforSemafor
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Article

Articles (111)

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Center (43)

FAQ

Dig deeper on this story with frequently asked questions.

Studies and major health organizations have found no conclusive evidence linking prenatal acetaminophen use to autism. Some research shows an association with neurodevelopmental disorders generally, but no direct causal link to autism has been established.

Acetaminophen is widely recommended by doctors and manufacturers as a safe option for pregnant women to relieve fever and pain. Untreated fever during pregnancy poses significant risks, making acetaminophen important to manage these symptoms safely.

Medical experts described President Trump's claims as irresponsible and not supported by evidence. Bioethicists and health professionals criticized the remarks as recycling myths and presenting dangerous advice without scientific basis.

The administration announced a broad effort to study autism causes and indicated that the Food and Drug Administration would notify doctors that acetaminophen use might be associated with an increased autism risk, although no scientific justification was immediately provided.

No, the claims linking vaccines to autism have been long debunked by scientific studies and are not supported by medical consensus.

History

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