Taking Tylenol during pregnancy does not increase the risk that a child will have autism, intellectual disability or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, according to a new study that contradicts recent warnings from some top government officials.
Researchers examined 43 existing studies to evaluate the safety of taking the common pain reliever, which is known as acetaminophen in the U.S. and paracetamol in some other countries, during pregnancy.
“Our findings suggest that previously reported links are likely to be explained by genetic predisposition or other maternal factors such as fever or underlying pain, rather than a direct effect of the paracetamol itself,” said Asma Khalil, a professor of obstetrics and maternal fetal medicine at City St George’s, University of London who led the study published this month in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Women’s Health.
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The study was conducted amid heightened worries after claims from President Donald Trump about an association between autism and Tylenol usage during pregnancy. During a September press conference, Trump told expectant mothers to “tough it out” and “don’t take Tylenol.”
The latest study prioritized research comparing the experiences of siblings whose mothers took Tylenol during one pregnancy, but not another. This approach helps control for genetics, environment and other characteristics, the researchers said.
Data included 262,852 children assessed for autism, 335,255 for ADHD and 406,681 for intellectual disability.
Earlier research suggesting some association between autism and acetaminophen use during pregnancy relied on studies prone to bias, the study authors said.
“The message is clear — paracetamol remains a safe option during pregnancy when taken as guided,” Khalil said. “This is important as paracetamol is the first-line medication we recommend for pregnant women in pain or with a fever, and so they should feel reassured that they still have a safe option to relieve them of their symptoms.”
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has repeatedly maintained that acetaminophen remains one of the safest options to treat pain and fever during pregnancy, which the group says can be harmful if left untreated.
“Expectant mothers do not need the stress of questioning whether medicine most commonly used for a headache could have far reaching effects on their child’s health,” said Grainne McAlonan, a professor of translational neuroscience at King’s College London who was not involved in the new study. “While the impact of last year’s announcement has been extensive, I hope the findings of this study bring the matter to a close.”
