Mazaj News (Web Desk) A group of European researchers has confirmed that taking paracetamol—known as Tylenol in the United States—during pregnancy is safe. This conclusion comes after the team reviewed existing evidence in response to claims made last year by US President Donald Trump linking the medication to autism.
Published in The Lancet: Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Women’s Health, the study focused on gathering the highest-quality data to evaluate these claims. According to lead author Asma Khalil, a professor of obstetrics and maternal-fetal medicine at City, St George’s, University of London, paracetamol is safe when used as recommended during pregnancy.
The study’s key message is reassurance: current evidence does not support a causal connection between paracetamol use in pregnancy and autism, ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder), or intellectual disabilities. Khalil noted that many patients had asked about acetaminophen after Trump advised pregnant women against its use in September. Medical experts at the time criticized the president’s statements, noting that they were not backed by scientific evidence.
Paracetamol remains the only pain reliever widely considered safe for pregnant women. Physicians advise using it at the lowest effective dose for the shortest possible time to manage pain and fever, which, if untreated, can pose risks to both mother and baby.
The researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis, examining 43 studies. Each study was evaluated for quality and potential bias using standardized methods. They paid particular attention to research comparing children born to the same mother who took paracetamol during one pregnancy but not another, accounting for genetic and family-related factors that might affect autism or related conditions.
Although only three studies of this type were found, they were large-scale: more than 260,000 children were assessed for autism, and around 335,000 and 405,000 for ADHD and intellectual disabilities, respectively. The findings showed no significant association between paracetamol use and any of these conditions. When all high-quality studies were combined, the results remained consistent.
Khalil emphasized that much of the earlier research suggesting a potential link—including a review of 46 studies cited by Trump officials—was vulnerable to bias or confounding factors that her team’s review addressed. Grainne McAlonan, professor of Translational Neuroscience at King’s College London, who was not part of the study, praised the work, saying: “I hope the findings of this study bring the matter to a close.”