DCNOW Condemns Trump Administration’s Unsubstantiated Claim of Link Between Autism and Acetaminophen

By: Miriam Edelman

DCNOW condemns the Trump Administration’s recent assertion that the pregnant women’s use of acetaminophen is linked to autism. The unsubstantiated claim undermines public health and blames and harms women.

The national office of the National Organization for Women (NOW) is concerned about disabilities. Its July 2025 press release on Disability Pride Month ended with:

“During Disability Pride Month, NOW members will educate themselves about disability rights, access and inclusion; share and promote content created by disabled authors, artists and podcasters; engage in disability rights advocacy and activism; volunteer or donate to groups that support disable individuals; attend a disability pride event;  learn about ableism and push back on harmful language and outdated thinking when we encounter it; and teach the next generation how to show up and make a difference.”

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a prevalent developmental disability. According to the U.S. Health and Human Services’ (HHS) U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website: “Some people with ASD have a known difference, such as a genetic condition. Other causes are not yet known.”

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has wanted to conduct research on causes of autism. Kennedy has also promoted baseless theories that vaccines cause autism.

Trump Administration’s Recent Actions

On September 22, 2025, the Trump Administration connected autism to the usage of acetaminophen (Tylenol). At a White House event, President Donald Trump recommended that pregnant women not take Tylenol. Kennedy said:

“HHS will act on acetaminophen. The FDA is responding to clinical and laboratory studies that suggest potential association between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and adverse developmental outcomes including later diagnosis for ADHD and autism.”

On September 22^nd, HHS issued a press release, entitled “President Trump, Secretary Kennedy Announce Bold Actions to Tackle Autism Epidemic.” The post stated:

“HHS will act on acetaminophen. Today, the FDA will issue a physician notice and begin the process to initiate a safety label change for acetaminophen (Tylenol and similar products). HHS will launch a nationwide public service campaign to inform families and protect public health.”

HHS’s U.S.'s Food & Drug  Administration (FDA) issued a news release, entitled “Autism and Acetaminophen Use During Pregnancy Agency initiates safety label change and notifies physicians of possible link.” The release began:

”The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today initiated the process for a label change for acetaminophen (Tylenol and similar products) to reflect evidence suggesting that the use of acetaminophen by pregnant women may be associated with an increased risk of neurological conditions such as autism and ADHD in children.”

The FDA also issued a “Notice to Physicians on the Use of Acetaminophen During Pregnancy.” The notice said, “In recent years, evidence has accumulated suggesting that the use of acetaminophen by pregnant women may be associated with an increased risk of neurological conditions such as autism and ADHD in children.” It also stated:

“clinicians should consider minimizing the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy for routine low-grade fevers. This consideration should also be balanced with the fact that acetaminophen is the safest over-the-counter alternative in pregnancy among all analgesics and antipyretics; aspirin and ibuprofen have well-documented adverse impacts on the fetus.”

Potential Danger to Women and Families

            What are pregnant women supposed to do when they have a fever? They could:

-          Take Tylenol, “the most commonly recommended pain reliever for pregnant women” (according to the Yale School of Public Health), and, according to the Trump Administration, place their unborn child at higher risk of acquiring autism.

-          Take aspirin or ibuprofen, possibly harming their unborn child.

-          Forgo painkillers for high fever and potentially result in their unborn child having developmental issues, such as autism. As Dr. Katelyn Jetelina stated, “Some studies have shown that a high fever during pregnancy can cause…developmental challenges like autism.”

Women and their families have been put in a bind. Dr. Rachel Follmer, a developmental and behavioral pediatrician, said, “It [recent claim about Tylenol] really puts women and mothers and medical providers in this really challenging situation because women are now being told differing stories from different individuals.” She worried that women may avoid treating pain in order to not use Tylenol. Such avoidance could be dangerous, as the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine said an “untreated fever, particularly in the first trimester, increases the risk of miscarriage, birth defects, and premature birth.”

Unproven Connection Between Acetaminophen and Autism

Acetaminophen may not actually cause autism. CNN reported, “Experts say there are multiple causes of autism, and the science showing a connection between autism and Tylenol is not settled.” For example, Yale School of Public Health Associate Professor Dr. Zeyan Liew said:

“We do not know yet for sure whether acetaminophen causes autism. Multiple observational studies conducted across different populations have shown associations between frequent and long-term use of acetaminophen in pregnancy and some negative effects on a child’s neurodevelopment. However, not all studies are specific about autism. Further, there might be other factors related to acetaminophen use, such as fevers (which are known to cause increased rates of neurodevelopmental delays). Genetics and other medical conditions also need to be considered.”

PBS reported that “After years of research, no study has shown that acetaminophen, the main ingredient in Tylenol, causes autism. There’s no known single cause of autism, a neurological condition that influences how someone acts and communicates.” An example of research is a JAMA article from April 2024 that stated:

“Acetaminophen use during pregnancy was not associated with children’s risk of autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability in sibling control analyses. This suggests that associations observed in other models may have been attributable to confounding.”

Several organizations rebuked the Trump Administration’s actions regarding acetaminophen and autism. On September 22^nd, the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists began its press release by stating:

“Suggestions that acetaminophen use in pregnancy causes autism are not only highly concerning to clinicians but also irresponsible when considering the harmful and confusing message they send to pregnant patients, including those who may need to rely on this beneficial medicine during pregnancy.”

On September 24^th, in a statement, the World Health Organization stated:

“The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasizes that there is currently no conclusive scientific evidence confirming a possible link between autism and use of acetaminophen (also known as paracetamol) during pregnancy.”

Oher organizations have also issued statements.

History of Blaming Women for Autism

This Trump Administration claim is the latest instance of women being blamed for causing autism. According to NPR, on and off for decades, women have been incorrectly linked with autism. During the 1940s, soon after autism was identified as a specific condition, blame for autism fell onto mothers with careers or college degrees. Leo Kanner, a major child psychiatrist, concluded that mothers’ coldness caused children to develop autism-related behaviors. The conclusion became the “refrigerator mom” theory, which caused women to feel shame and guilt. Martine Lappé, a sociology professor, said, “Mothers, I think, felt a lot of individual blame and responsibility if their children did have autism.” In the 1960s, Bruce Bettelheim, a child psychoanalyst, called for autistic children and their mothers to be separated from each other.

Marga Vicedo, a historian at the University of Toronto, Canada, saw ties between conversations around “refrigerator moms” and “Tylenol.” Both times, autism, a complex condition, was tied to one cause. She said, “The continued focus on what mothers do places a tremendous burden and a lot of stress on them.”

Final Thoughts

Women should stop being blamed for autism, and pregnant women should take acetaminophen without fear of causing autism. On X, former President Barack Obama wrote:

“We have people in power making broad claims around certain drugs and autism that have been continuously disproven. The degree to which those comments can undermine public health, do harm to women who are pregnant, create anxiety for parents who do have children who are autistic – is violence against the truth.”