Warnings issued over American President's medical advice

ON Monday, 22 September 2025, the American President Donald Trump made controversial and scientifically unfounded claims regarding Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) supposed links to vaccinations and Tylenol (Paracetamol ) during a speech in the Oval Office.

The announcement started saying he had the:- "Americans' top medical and public health professionals" as they made an announcement about:- "steps to confront the crisis of Autism... Horrible, horrible crisis. "

In this dangerous announcement, the 45th and 47th President Trump suggested that pregnant women should only use the medication in cases of:- "extreme fever," asserting that the drugs are:- "not good" and urging them to:- "fight like hell" to avoid taking them. These remarks have sparked widespread concern and alarm.

President Trump's comments appear to stem from personal opinions and conjecture rather than robust scientific research. Medical professionals have criticised these irresponsible statements, emphasising that they contradict the careful, measured language essential when discussing medication and vaccinations. The medical community stresses the importance of relying on well established scientific evidence to guide public health recommendations, particularly concerning the health of pregnant women and their unborn children.

The potential impact of such remarks from a figure of authority cannot be understated. Misleading statements can lead to significant public confusion and fear, potentially causing individuals to make harmful decisions about their health. It is essential to maintain a clear and consistent message based on scientific consensus to ensure the safety and well being of all individuals. Moreover, public health communications must be handled with the utmost responsibility, especially when addressing vulnerable populations like pregnant women.

In response to these comments, numerous health organisations have reiterated the importance of vaccinations and the safe use of medications like Tylenol during pregnancy. They have called for a reaffirmation of trust in scientific research and evidence, based practices. By doing so, they hope to prevent the spread of misinformation and protect the health of both mothers and their children.

World leaders in health care and medicine are shocked by these claims being pushed out to the public in such a way. The vast majority of experts say that his statements risk serious harm to those acting on these unfounded claims.

The condition (ASD) is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition affecting a person's communication abilities and their ability to interact with others. It also affects the sufferers' experiences of the world, characterised by differences in social interaction and communication, and restricted or repetitive behaviours, interests, or activities. What causes the condition is still highly debated.

On issues like this, it's extremely important that all medical announcements are underpinned by robust and fact based judgements to ensure that benefits justify any risks. It's crucial to rely on accurate, peer reviewed scientific studies and guidance from established medical authorities for health related information.

There is no evidence that Tylenol (Paracetamol ) causes autism. It us thought Trump's comments might have been based on a suggestion from an August review of existing research, led by Dr. Andrea Baccarelli, dean of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The study found that prenatal exposure to acetaminophen (commonly known as Tylenol or Paracetamol ) may be associated with an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders, including:- autism and ADHD, in children. You can read the full study online at:- HSPH.Harvard.Edu.

When anyone like Trump is pushing out information about medications and health, especially in circumstances like those during pregnancy, it is important to consult reputable sources to ensure the information is accurate and evidence based. Yet, in this case, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has no official stance or research review supporting this claim. In fact the authors said that more research was needed to confirm the findings, but recommended cautious time limited use of the drug.

A Swedish study in 2024 found no evidence to support a causal link between autism and acetaminophen.

Yet in another study that was conducted this year (2025) in Japan, the study said about its findings that:- "misclassification and other biases may partially explain these associations" after it suggested a small increased risk of autism linked to acetaminophen.

Experts at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) have clearly said:- "Overwhelming scientific evidence shows Paracetamol  safe to take during pregnancy within recommended limits."

Reacting to the announcement, in the UK, Mel Merritt, Head of Policy and Campaigns at the National Autistic Society, said:- "This is dangerous, it's anti science and it's irresponsible. President Donald Trump is peddling the worst myths of recent decades. Such dangerous pseudo science is putting pregnant women and children at risk and devaluing autistic people. Let's be clear... Painkillers do not cause autism and vaccines do not cause autism. Large-scale studies have shown that there is no robust, scientific evidence to support this claim. It's nothing more than fearmongering. The incessant misinformation about autism from President Trump and Robert F Kennedy Jr risks undermining decades of research by respected experts in the field. Understandably, autistic people will be dismayed and frightened by this announcement, and we would urge our Government and the NHS to stand by autistic people and to condemn this misinformation. To do otherwise risks creating further fear, stigmatisation, and harm. We urge anyone looking for information about autism to visit websites from trusted organisations such as the NHS and the National Autistic Society."

Dr Alison Cave, Chief Safety Officer at the MHRA, said:- "Patient safety is our top priority. There is no evidence that taking Paracetamol  during pregnancy causes autism in children. Paracetamol  remains the recommended pain relief option for pregnant women when used as directed. Pregnant women should continue to follow existing NHS guidance and speak to their healthcare professional if they have questions about any medication during pregnancy. Untreated pain and fever can pose risks to the unborn baby, so it is important to manage these symptoms with the recommended treatment. Our advice on medicines in pregnancy is based on rigorous assessment of the best available scientific evidence. Any new evidence that could affect our recommendations would be carefully evaluated by our independent scientific experts. We continuously monitor the safety of all medicines, including:- those used during pregnancy, through robust monitoring and surveillance. We encourage anyone to report any suspected side effects to us via the Yellow Card scheme."

In the UK the NHS says that Paracetamol remains the recommended as the 1st choice painkiller for pregnant women, used at the lowest dose and for the shortest duration. If pain does not resolve, then patients are advised to seek advice from their healthcare professional. You can read the current NHS Guidance online now, at:- NHS.UK.

Laurie Tomlinson, NIHR Research Professor, at LSHTM, said:- "I have assessed the risks to health from numerous medications over the past 15 years and I'm confident that the best available evidence shows us Paracetamol is safe to take during pregnancy within the recommended limits and does not increase the risk of children being born with autism. These claims seem to ignore numerous factors, including why Paracetamol  was taken in the 1st place. For example, women with hypermobility are more likely to have autistic children (since the 2 conditions are linked) and so may have needed to take Paracetamol for joint pain during pregnancy, but it is the shared genetic causes rather than the drug that means that the child is more likely to be autistic. It is complex to interpret clinical data and to be able to distinguish correlation from causation. In any one set of data, we may see that people later diagnosed with a health condition are more likely to have taken a medication than people not diagnosed. This is what we would refer to as a correlation, and it does not mean that this medication:- 'causes' the condition. Identifying a:- 'causal' link between:- taking a medication and developing a health condition often requires evidence from multiple types of research, or specific, tailored research eliminating all other differences between groups of patients. Alongside my research experience, I'm also the mother of 2 autistic children, and I know that this announcement will cause distress and guilt to many parents, who often ask themselves whether they are to blame. I urge parents to focus on the countless number of reputable sources of evidence published to date that do not show a link between:- Paracetamol and autism, and to seek medical advice from their own GP or health practitioner. I urge you not to get caught up in a political misinformation agenda that is trying to hunt for an:- 'easy' answer as to how autism develops, and does not serve to help our children."

Ian Douglas, Professor of Pharmacoepidemiology, at LSHTM, said:- "Trying to measure whether exposure to Paracetamol during pregnancy causes autism or other neurodevelopmental delays is very difficult. Women who take Paracetamol during pregnancy are different from women who don't for all sorts of reasons. For instance, we have to remember that Paracetamol would only be taken for a specific reason, and that many of these underlying reasons could themselves be causes of autism. As an example, Paracetamol might be taken because of an infection or fever that was severe enough to warrant treatment, or to help manage a long term condition. It's the job of researchers to account for these differences as best they can, so that if we still see an association, it may indicate a possible cause. This is notoriously difficult to do because we almost never perfectly measure these differences, and many are entirely unmeasured, for example, genetics. A Swedish study last year attempted to bypass some of these problems by making comparisons between siblings whose mothers only used Paracetamol in 1 of their pregnancies. This analysis found no increased risk of autism and concluded that past studies which did find an increased risk were likely to be subject to the problems outlined above. The data they used is also of extremely high quality and unlikely to be improved on elsewhere. In short, whilst some studies have found small associations between:- Paracetamol and autism, we should be very wary of jumping to a causal link. More robust ways of studying this question have found no increased risk."

It is worth adding that the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) also adds that:- "The MHRA regularly reviews the safety of Paracetamol during pregnancy to ensure that the benefits to the patient and unborn baby outweigh any risks. Patients should not stop taking their pain medicines as untreated pain and fever can pose risks to the unborn child. Members of the public and healthcare professionals are encouraged to report any suspected side effect from medicines, including Paracetamol, to the MHRA's Yellow Card scheme."