Major Study Debunks Claims Linking Tylenol Use in Pregnancy to Autism and ADHD

A new study has debunked claims of any link between the use of Tylenol in pregnancy and diagnoses of autism, ADHD, or intellectual disabilities in children. According to the research published in The Lancet,

there is no evidence to support any causal link between prenatal Tylenol exposure and any kind of neurological conditions. The findings support existing recommendations from medical groups like the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists on the safety of using acetaminophen - the active ingredient in Tylenol- as the first-line medication for relieving pain or fever during pregnancy, the authors say. The study was conducted after researchers reviewed over 40 studies globally that used questionnaires or medical records showing outcomes and compared pregnancies with and without Tylenol use. Those studies included large, population-based cohorts from multiple countries, including the US, Japan, and Australia. Scientists say sibling comparisons help filter out a few factors, which include genetics, environmental conditions, and socioeconomic information. They have also emphasized the importance of considering "the baseline risk" of neurodevelopmental conditions within families when calculating the prevalence of such outcomes.

Tylenol and pregnancy

Many experts praised the study’s methods and conclusions, which diverge sharply from the recommendations offered by President Donald Trump and top health officials last year, when they said that acetaminophen should be used only if absolutely needed during pregnancy and launched a nationwide public information campaign to inform doctors and families of the purported risk. The announcement had come as part of their bid to find the cause of autism, which decades of research have already linked to primarily genetic factors. Acetaminophen, also known as paracetamol in the UK and Europe, is the safest pain-relieving option for pregnant women. Doctors say it is also the safest pain and fever-relieving option for both the mother and fetus, which, left untreated, can be life-threatening for both. Other pain medications like aspirin and ibuprofen are known to have risks during pregnancy. Kenvue, the maker of Tylenol, has said, “Independent, sound science clearly shows that taking acetaminophen does not cause autism," calling it "the safest pain reliever option for pregnant women as needed throughout their entire pregnancy.”

No relation between medicines and autism

There have been large and robust studies done on the issue – including one in Sweden that followed 2.5 million children for over 25 years, which did not find any connection between the medication and autism. Another Japanese study followed 217,000 children, which had the same results. The authors of the new research say their findings from the sibling comparisons and their pooled results from multiple studies suggest that previously reported associations between the medication during pregnancy and autism, ADHD, or intellectual disabilities may be due to other factors — for example, the mother's underlying pain, fever, or genetic predisposition — rather than any direct effect from acetaminophen.