Acetaminophen and Autism: Experts Slam Trump's Unfounded Claim

Trump’s alarming statement on Tylenol

During a recent press briefing, President Donald Trump claimed that taking acetaminophen – the active ingredient in Tylenol – while pregnant could increase a child’s chance of developing autism. He went a step further, declaring that the Food and Drug Administration would add a warning label indicating a "possible association" with autism. The announcement caught media outlets off guard and set off a cascade of reactions from the medical community.

What made the claim especially jarring was the lack of any new study or peer‑reviewed data presented to back it up. In the same breath, Trump suggested that the combined measles‑mumps‑rubella (MMR) vaccine should be split into separate shots, arguing that mixing the vaccines might overload a child’s immune system. No scientific evidence was offered to support either point, and the statements quickly became a flashpoint for experts worldwide.

Scientific community pushes back

Within minutes, leading researchers and professional societies issued statements refuting the President’s remarks. Clinical teratologist acetaminophen researcher Sura Alwan, who heads the PEAR‑Net Society, said, "The evidence does not support a causal link between acetaminophen or vaccines and autism." She emphasized that decades of epidemiological studies have found no consistent association.

Helen Tager‑Flusberg, a psychologist who has spent her career studying autism, called the proposed warning "absolutely not grounded in scientific findings." She warned that pregnant women might forgo a medication that is generally considered safe for pain and fever, simply because of fear sparked by the new label.

Other voices echoed the same concerns. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and several vaccine advocacy groups reminded the public that the MMR vaccine’s safety profile is well established. Separating the shots, they noted, would add unnecessary appointments and could delay full immunization, leaving children vulnerable to preventable diseases.

In addition to the scientific rebuttals, the statements raised policy questions. The FDA has a rigorous process for adding warnings to drug labels, typically requiring robust data from multiple studies. As of now, no such data have been submitted for acetaminophen, making the announced label change appear premature at best.

Public health experts also stressed the broader impact of misinformation. "When leaders spread unfounded health scares, it erodes trust in proven treatments," said Dr. Maya Patel, an epidemiologist at a major university. "We risk seeing a rise in untreated fevers and pain during pregnancy, which can have real consequences for both mother and baby."

Despite the backlash, the President’s comments have already found traction on certain social media platforms, where anti‑vaccine groups celebrated the endorsement of their long‑standing narratives. This underscores the challenge of correcting false claims once they go viral.

Meanwhile, researchers continue to investigate the many factors that may contribute to autism spectrum disorders, ranging from genetics to prenatal environment. However, the consensus remains that there is no credible link between a commonly used pain reliever and the condition.

As the debate unfolds, pregnant women are being urged to consult their healthcare providers before making any changes to medication or vaccination schedules. Doctors stress that the safest course is to follow established guidelines, which currently endorse acetaminophen as a first‑line treatment for fever and mild pain during pregnancy, and to keep the MMR vaccine in its combined form as recommended by the CDC.